Despite their best efforts, the Warriors fell short in their pursuit of acquiring Paul George. The nine-time NBA All-Star opted to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers instead of Golden State.
Ramona Shelburne from ESPN reports that George was open to joining the Warriors, and negotiations took place at both the executive and ownership levels. However, Golden State drew the line at including young forward Jonathan Kuminga in any potential deal for George.
The Warriors were reportedly very close to making a deal for George before he made his decision. While the exact details of the trade offers are still unclear, it is known that the Warriors were unwilling to part ways with Kuminga. They offered various combinations of players and draft picks in exchange for George, but they were not willing to sacrifice their young talent.
It appears that the Warriors’ final offer for George included Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, or possibly Kuminga and Moses Moody along with a future first-round draft pick. Despite conflicting reports, it is evident that Golden State values Kuminga highly and sees him as a key piece of their future plans.
In conclusion, while it’s disappointing for Golden State to miss out on a player of George’s caliber, they remain committed to building around their young core of talent for the future.