The Heat‘s interest in Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has been overstated, according to Ethan J. Skolnick of Five Reasons Sports and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links).
[RELATED: Warriors Make Jonathan Kuminga Restricted Free Agent]
Miami has been mentioned multiple times in recent weeks as one of the teams that could make a play for the 22-year-old forward. However, Jackson says there’s no “active pursuit” from the Heat’s end.
Jackson acknowledges in a follow-up tweet that could change in the coming days or weeks, but it doesn’t sound like Kuminga will be a top priority for Miami when free agency opens on Monday evening.
Here are a few more notes and rumors on free agents from around the NBA:
- Veteran guard Gary Payton II appears unlikely to return to the Warriors in free agency, a pair of sources tell Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area (Bluesky link). If Payton walks, Golden State will likely try to add a quality point-of-attack defender to replace him, Poole adds.
- Bucks forward/center Bobby Portis and Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith are two potential free agents who are generating a “considerable amount of curiosity” around the NBA, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Portis ($13.4MM) and Finney-Smith ($15.4MM) both hold player options for the 2025/26 season, but if they decline them in search of multiyear deals, they would be at the top of the mid-level market for frontcourt players, Fischer writes. In a follow-up Substack story, Fischer suggests the Bucks are well positioned to retain Portis, perhaps on a longer-term deal after he declines that option.
- Re-signing free agent point guard Tre Jones is a viable possibility for the Bulls, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network. As Johnson notes, Billy Donovan and his coaching staff loved what Jones brought to the team in the second half last season, and Chicago’s trade of Lonzo Ball will remove one name from the team’s backcourt depth chart.
- Bobby Marks of ESPN takes an in-depth look at where things stand for all 30 teams entering free agency.
Kuminga probably not worth 20m+ a year on a long term deal…. If Kerr can’t figure out how to use him what does that tell you…maybe he’s a rotation piece some where? HEY, when your’re the Bulls and over paid Patrick Williams at 5/90M, yes you want to get off of that contract and get Kuminga…. But that’s the Bulls, they just went after Okoro…. Cleveland couldn’t wait to get rid of him… I guess this means beauty is in the eye of the beholder….
All 30 NBA teams would love to have Kuminga on 20m per year. 30m is what roleplayers are starting to get. And Kuminga can be more than that.
In the latter part of 23-24 Kuminga was already a player getting 20pts in 30 minutes, on above average true shooting, and was a big positive on advanced metrics. Had better per minute and shooting stats than Franz Wagner, who got the max. And Kuminga is younger.
In 24-25, Kerr put him in the corner, without the ball, which plummeted his efficiency. That was a conscious decision, probably not just by Kerr, but on an organization level, led by him not wanting to sign a contract GS were offering.
Peter , excellent analysis but the decision to stop running the offense through Kuminga’s was Kerr’s alone
Kerr said exactly this a few weeks ago on Kawakami’s podcast while acknowledging that there has been front office pressure to do more with Kuminga.
The problem is that interests are not aligned: Kerr’s job is to win games now, not develop players. And being in the last year of his coaching deal makes that more the case. Meanwhile, Dunleavy and Lakob are also responsible for 2027 and beyond.
Warriors –
Get rid of Kuminga – can use Non-taxpayer MLE?
$25 million to reach the 1st apron
$37 million to reach the 2nd apron
First apron:
Sign-and-trades are not permitted if the player acquired keeps the team above the apron.
Luxury Tax Line: The luxury tax line is $187.9 million
First Apron: The first apron is set at $195.9 million
Second Apron: The second apron is $207.8 million
No realistic way to get under the first apron with Giannis coming to the bay for ‘25-‘26 season; ducking below the second apron is do-able by sending out Kuminga, Dray, and either Moody or Hield as your main rotation pieces before you dip into your future draft capital as well. So position the payroll between 1st and 2nd apron. Does this mean trading for Giannis doesn’t meet the CBA requirements?
I love GP2 like an alltime Warrior great but letting him go now is the only way to stop Kerr from hurting the team.
GP2 was **s against Minnesota in the playoffs but Kerr couldn’t stop playing him because love is blind.
It’s not 2022 anymore. It’s time to move on and stop pretending. No more old small guys that can’t shoot please.
Warriors have very little assets. Need to keep Payton.
Salary dump Moody and his $37 million contract
Keep Kuminga QO, then offer him $100 million contract next summer
Sorry, Sillivan. EasyMoneySniper wins THIS take. Don’t let it deter you in any way though. Keep the takes coming. The best part of the NBA offseason is near.
Marks says the same thing I said for Bklyn – Santi Aldama. At this point, it’s going to be a challenge for them to spend their cal allotment. They’re not going to take on a stupid contract like Beal… I don’t know who else is out their on a big deal who they could extract future assets for taking that makes sense. I don’t see that happening now. So the alternative is to sign a FA. Aldama is the most logical fit.
*cap allotment
Warriors should get rid of Kuminga and sign one of the following
Bucks forward/center Bobby Portis or Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith
4 years $61 million
Yes, Portis would work well with Post as a center rotation, plus can get him relatively at a good value. Agree, Kuminga maybe at best is the 3rd top scorer on a team, if he is the 2nd leading scorer it doesn’t bode well on a contending team… Kuminga while injured was studying Jimmy Butler, how Jimmy moved without the ball to get open… In a 7 game playoff a team can easily key on him and take him out, or easily frustrate him…. rendering him useless…. Kuminga needs to be on team like Indiana who plays a deep roster and no offensive pressure is placed on him, LIKE OBI TOPPIN…
Kuminga is the opposite of a Heat culture guy. Hardly shocking they’d have minimal interest at whatever $ amount he wants/some team will be willing to throw at him. Granted, the on court fit isn’t terrible now that Jimmy is gone. They do need someone who can get to the rim to take pressure off of Herro and another scorer in general.
GPII has kinda led a charmed hoops life. He was out of when Meyers took a flyer on him. 70% of his career was with the Warriors. He got his big paycheck from the Trailblazer. Time to find that coaching job.
GPII is a baller. But we know his ceiling. He does well in spurts and will keep a job another year or two solid. After that you might be right but he’s still got something to give a team. Especially a young one. Who needs to learn effort can make up for skills you don’t have. GP doesn’t do any one thing spectacular but he does a lot of things well. I never made it to the NBA. Im jealous of his career and success.
I’m not critical of him. He bounced around the league. He was set to get into coaching. He got a second chance and made the most of it. He earned it.
I wonder what Bobby Portis could be on GSW… not sure a natural fit but I like his toughness
Kerr likes Portis. A possible fit.
If Kuminga’s agents were going to float a rumor about a team having interest, MIA would be a great choice. As an RFA, he’ll need some outside interest to get overpaid.