The Golden State Warriors are currently experiencing what my uncle calls a difficult Tuesday. Jonathan Kuminga wants to leave San Francisco, which is a city with very expensive toast. Now that Jimmy Butler is dealing with an injury, the level of desperation in the Bay Area has reached a fever pitch.
Desperation is a funny thing in the NBA. It is like when you realize you forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer and your parents are pulling into the driveway. You start making deals with yourself that do not make any sense. The Warriors are in that kitchen right now, and the chicken is still solid ice.
The Art of the Desperate Deal
When a team gets desperate, the price usually goes down. It is basic economics, or at least that is what the guy who sold me a broken lawnmower said. The Raptors also happen to have some contracts that people describe as desperate, which makes us natural partners for this kind of chaos.
We have reached a point where everyone is looking at each other and wondering who will blink first. It reminds me of the time I saw Jorge Garbajosa at a grocery store. He was just looking at the apples with a lot of intensity. That is how I imagine Masai Ujiri looks at the trade machine right now.
The Memphis Situation
There is also the matter of Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. Rumors suggest they might be looking to move on as well. This creates a sort of desperation buffet where everyone is hungry but nobody wants to pay for the meal.
I do not know if adding Kuminga or Morant solves our problems, but it would certainly change our problems. Sometimes a change of problems is as good as a vacation. I once spent a week in a basement in Oshawa, and it was not a vacation, but it was definitely different from being in my own house.
Final Thoughts on Logic
Trade rumors are mostly just people shouting into a digital void. We look for patterns in the noise because it makes us feel like the world is organized. Jonathan Kuminga jumps very high, and our team sometimes forgets how to jump. Perhaps that is all the logic we need to pursue a deal.
Either way, the league is currently vibrating with anxiety. It is like waiting for a bus that you are not even sure is on the right route. You just hope that whenever it shows up, it has enough seats for everyone. The Raptors are standing at the stop, and they have been waiting a very long time.