Warriors Draft Gamble on Kuminga Wiseman Fails

Merlin sees Golden State’s “Two Timelines” experiment has mostly failed. The Dubs hoped Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman would extend the Curry era, but Wiseman became a bust, Kuminga was traded and Moody settled as a role player. The 2022 title owed to the veterans, and now with Kuminga gone the second timeline has collapsed, leaving Joe Lacob and the front office under fresh scrutiny. Merlin notes the franchise still has four championships, but patience with young players cost the team the chance to add ready help sooner. As Anthony Slater warned, the core "did not have a lot of time." Even short moves like adding Jimmy Butler showed how a proven star can reset a season. Lacob’s line, "Honestly, this is sort of my dream," now reads like hubris, and the Warriors will likely hunt proven talent over projects.