Report: Warriors refused to include JK in PG13 trade with Clippers originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
The Warriors did everything in their power to sign Paul George this offseason.
Well, almost everything.
Before George Opted out of his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday, eliminating any chance Golden State had of acquiring him, only then agreeing to sign a five-year, $204 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Warriors would be close to acquiring the nine-time NBA All-Star.
George was excited about the idea of joining the Warriors, and there were several instances where it appeared a deal could be reached as negotiations took place at the executive and ownership levels, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported, citing sources, in a report on Tuesday.
However, according to Shelburne, Golden State refused to include young forward Jonathan Kuminga in any trade for George.
“The Warriors offered multiple combinations of expiring contracts, young players and an unprotected 2027 first-round pick, sources said,” Shelburne wrote. “The Clippers responded by asking for prized youngster Jonathan Kuminga, sources said. The Warriors held out because Kuminga is so important to their own future, sources said, but also because they feared George wouldn’t be as interested in joining them if they backed out. too much to catch it.
“At several points, it appeared the teams might reach an agreement, as negotiations occurred at both the ownership and executive levels. But they never found common ground on the financial implications for the Clippers. As they did with George, Sources said LA has remained firm in not resuming contracts that would take it to the second yard unless there are compelling reasons to do so.”
However, Atlético Tim Kawakami reported on Saturday that the Warriors’ offers for George consisted of some combination, but not all, of Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Kuminga or Moses Moody, plus a future first-round pick, which appears to be the first 2027 pick that Shelburne mentions.
Due to conflicting reports, it remains unclear whether the Warriors actually included Kuminga in any proposed trade packages, but it is clear that Golden State highly values their rising star and considers him an integral part of their future.
