As things stand, the Golden State Warriors remain the only NBA team yet to make a single roster transaction since the start of free agency.
According to salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan, writing in his Third Apron column, this stagnation largely stems from the unresolved status of forward Jonathan Kuminga. Until his situation is clarified, the Warriors appear to be in a holding pattern.
Reportedly, Golden State has tentative agreements in place with veterans Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton. However, those deals are currently in limbo and cannot be officially completed while Kuminga’s future with the team hangs in the balance.
This delay is rooted in the league’s complex salary cap structure. Specifically, if the Warriors choose to utilize the taxpayer midlevel exception (MLE), it would trigger a hard cap at the second apron – set at $207.8 million.
That constraint could open a window for opposing teams with available cap space to extend an aggressive offer sheet to Kuminga – potentially in the ballpark of $30 million annually.
Should such an offer materialize, the Warriors, boxed in by the hard cap, likely wouldn’t be able to match it without making significant sacrifices.
Gozlan suggests that the most practical and mutually beneficial solution might be a sign-and-trade deal. This would allow Kuminga to move to a new team, while enabling the Warriors to receive assets in return without violating cap restrictions.
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On the other hand, if Golden State does ultimately retain Kuminga, they would probably aim to negotiate a contract in the $22 to $23 million per year range.
That salary figure would give the team just enough financial flexibility to sign both Horford and Melton using the MLE and still fill out the roster with three minimum-salary players – all while staying under the second apron and avoiding the hard cap penalties that come with crossing it.
Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Kings, LeBron, Butler https://t.co/rzZrBCpvOM pic.twitter.com/jaH2xHJnmM
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) July 27, 2025
