In an offseason discussion with his colleagues Fred Katz and Marcus Thompson II, Sam Amick of The Athletic states that the Kings have been the “most serious” sign-and-trade suitor for Warriors restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga this summer.
According to Amick, Sacramento has been “resisting the urge” to make “smaller” trades this offseason because the front office has placed a higher priority on trying to acquire Kuminga. Elaborating further, Amick hears the Kings are more likely to sign Russell Westbrook if they know they can’t land Kuminga.
The Kings aren’t expected to sign Westbrook, with whom they’ve been linked throughout the summer, unless they can create a roster opening in the backcourt, Amick notes. Several other reporters have said similarly for several weeks, including Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), whose latest story was released after The Athletic’s.
Sources tell Fischer the Kings “continue to covet” Westbrook, who played for Denver last season. While Sacramento is reportedly no longer actively shopping Malik Monk, people around the league think second-year guard Devin Carter may still be moved, according to Fischer, who observes that the former Providence star was drafted by former GM Monte McNair.
Carter has reportedly been offered to Golden State in sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga, though the Warriors aren’t believed to have interest in that proposal.
Carter, the 13th overall pick of last year’s draft, was limited to 36 games as a rookie due to a shoulder injury. He was dominant in five G League games with the Stockton Kings (26.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.2 blocks on .517/.380/.733 shooting) but didn’t make a major impact in his limited NBA run in 2024/25 (3.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.1 APG on .370/.295/.591 shooting in 11.0 MPG).
Kuminga’s latest Instagram post has the young restricted free agent projecting confidence despite the lengthy contract standoff with Golden State, a situation Amick calls “borderline contentious.” Amick says he wouldn’t be surprised if Kuminga ultimately signs his $8MM qualifying offer instead of accepting the Warriors’ two-year, $45MM deal, which is guaranteed for $21.75MM (2026/27 is a team option).
However, as Amick writes, neither side will really start to feel pressure until mid-September, with training camp and the Oct. 1 deadline to sign a qualifying offer just a couple weeks away at that point.
Kuminga trade is not happening. Kings can’t even find takers for the players they wanted to trade to the warriors. So they couldn’t find a third or fourth team. Kuminga ends up taking the QO and become a free agent next season.
Why didnt Warriors nontender him when they had a chance? They could have signed Lopez, Beals, or Lilliard this offseason.
QO is not what Warriors want or planned on.
Michol, did you see what those players signed for? You see how much money they got?
The Warriors are not giving those three anywhere near that dollar amount.
I meant instead of Kuminga if they are going to allow QO
Warriors can’t go over the apron is another reason they can’t give Kuminga a big contract. They spent all their money on Butler extension last year.
Warriors will give in and at least change team to player option for yr 2. No way in hell they will allow QO for Kuminga. Thats the worst possible outcome for Warriors. If thats what they planned on, they could have nontendered Kuminga(pull qo offer) and signed one of those 3 players i mentioned with the exception.
lliard is not coming back until next year so that is a waste. Beal doesn’t make the team better. Lopez who knows what he has left. I would still take Kuminga over all 3.
Of course, but QO means warriors get nothing for Kuminga. Kuminga will not play at all next yr. :(
Next year is next year. Who knows if Beal, Lliard, or Lopez plays next year.
The last gasps of a dying franchise.
@arc89
Given how much $ that will cost him, I think his taking the QO is extremely unlikely.
The dumbest FO in the NBA, pound for pound, are the Sacto Kings.
No, you aren’t getting Kuminga for anything less than Keegan Murray and a first. Stop acting like you were “close”. Monk’s contract cripples the Warriors. None of this makes sense, and I bet a million dollars if you asked MDJ what he wants from the Kings, its “nothing less than Murray and a 1st keeps me on the line”. If they aren’t willing to do that, they aren’t getting Kuminga this season (or at least until sometime after Dec 15).
Sac is generally making dumb moves (drafted Bagley instead of Luka, signed a great player Debo they didn’t need), but in this case, GSW really screwed the Kuminga situation. They screwed up his value and if they don’t give him a player option on the 2nd year, getting Monk and a conditional 1st seems better than JK taking the qo. Because really, keeping Buddy is worth it? Some days yes, some days, hell no.
Ok but you are saying “The Warriors screwed up Kuminga, therefore they MUST trade him to the Kings, with their pathetic offers”. Its literally better for both sides for Kuminga to take the QO or any extension offered by GSW. He can then say “I am going to sit out until Dec 15 then trade me”. Then its over. Dec 15 is a better time to trade him than now.
doncic’s people told the kings hed rather stay in europe than play for them.
thats the only reason my brain can comprehend vlade would draft bagley instead of luka
Amick has been pushing this story for months now. It’s a shame when a writer can’t think of anything else to write about. I can sell him stories lols.
Fischer is who I find funny he is now redoing last year rumors just to get his articles done.
If Kuminga signs the QO he cant really be traded. After a trade he would lose Bird rights and only be able to sign with the acquiring team for about 10M without them having cap space. If he does that most of the teams that have been interested this offseason dont project to have cap room next year either so he would still need a S&T to get to most of the destinations.
If he signs the deal theyre offering he can at least extend after a trade for like 29M ish starting.
The team is like 23M ish below the first apron currently which would let them give that to Kuminga and still have the TPMLE and vet mins for Horford et al. If Kuminga did take the QO the team could then use the BAE and some other exceptions to give all those guys a little more money than the other route.
Thus Warriors are bluffing. Warriors will give in but they dont want to guve too much. At least player option for yr 2 if not a 3 yr contract.
I think the 3 years could add trade value. If you get him on a cheap enough number more team control = more value. That is unless he is just salary matching for a big deal. In that case it would be smart to give him the most possible for year one so you can put him together with Moody and a third to match like 40M.
I can’t see him agreeing to three. Kuminga is the biggest believer in his own upside, and he wants to “achieve” a big contract. But it seems like the new CBA has really tamped down the max contracts for potential or fear of losing a guy.
Davey….Giannis is not going to the Warriors, lols.
I think the better question to ask here is: What’s the best option for Kuminga as a trade piece for the Giannis package after Dec 15?
I foresee a big (number of players) trade between the two teams, it won’t be just Giannis coming to GSW.
He loses his full bird rights anyway signing a QO. He’ll be relying on someone with a lot of cap space to give him a big deal.
You only lose the Bird if you get traded. If he takes the QO and plays the full season with GSW his rights are maintained after the season. Its only on a trade after a NTC is waived. So on a 1/ -1 or QO if he is traded then because of the auto NTC the Bird rights go. This applies even if he waives it at the time of signing.
Damn, ChapmansVacuum went to college. Kudos. Great posting in here.
The problem is that Kuminga isn’t a starter in the NBA something similar to Obi Toppin, Golden State needs to trade him to a team in the east, maybe Detroit, Washington, Charlotte or Brooklyn. I will be not surprised if in the end Kuminga is traded for a few second round picks and a bag of potato chips.
What’s funny is that Obi was better in college and is better thus far in the NBA.
Kuminga is absolutely a starter in the NBA. Not under Kerr or teams structured like GSW, but on many other teams, he absolutely is. He is also 22, but you are talking like he’s 32 – that’s bad analysis.
You got to feel for Kuminga, this is an untenable situation which he should never be put through.
That’s the biggest problem with the NBA just now, it’s far too much favorable to the teams, with players not having enough say in their own careers and lives.
The new CBA has been awful for the players and great for the franchises.
The time has come to give the players some power.
#PlayerPowerNow
It’s really impossible for anyone to say how good he is, because the kid has talent, but is a square peg in a round hole. Kerr is devoted to his veterans and for all his abilities (I’m not knocking him, he has some real strengths), he’s never shown he’s developed real talent. These are players Mark Jackson developed. I don’t know Jackson could have won any of the championships, but name the rookie that became a star under Kerr. He has ruined JK’s value.
Exactly, this is why I want Iguodala as HC, or at least as his mentor. They are basically the same body and toolbox, but Iggy’s IQ was like 10000 and JK got forced to play with bench scrubs and too-small lineups that get cooked and has had his development stunted by Kerr this way. Kerr only knows Podz and even then he personally didnt develop him, the GL did.
Still have zero examples of a draft pick just having a normal career under Kerr. No examples of a draft pick staying on the team and not having to go to the GL. Kerr makes them do the stupidest things as rookies, they look bad, they get sent to GL, they figure it out, they come back to NBA as good players…who Kerr then uses in the dumbest rotations possible – on repeat
Gs: “curry will play forever right????!”