Restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga remains locked in a contract standoff with the Warriors nearly two months after free agency opened, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The Warriors been unwilling to offer Kuminga more than $45MM over two years, according to Fischer, who says Golden State has also been “unwavering” in its stance that the contract would feature a second-year team option and would require Kuminga to waive his right to veto trades.
Echoing previous reporting by Anthony Slater of ESPN, sources tell Fischer that Kuminga and agent Aaron Turner are looking for more long-term security and haven’t shown any interest to this point in the Warriors’ proposal, viewing it as an easy way for the team to trade him during the season.
To drive home that point, Fischer states that Golden State discussed sending Kuminga to Phoenix ahead of the February trade deadline when the Warriors were pursuing Kevin Durant, who essentially nixed the deal. Durant was later traded from the Suns to the Rockets.
According to Fischer, the Warriors have been “discouraging” sign-and-trade scenarios for Kuminga after previous proposals from the Kings and Suns failed to meet the team’s asking price.
While accepting his $7.98MM qualifying offer would cost Kuminga a substantial amount of short-term money, it would also put him in a better position to dictate his future, since it comes with a no-trade clause for 2025/26 and the ability to reach unrestricted free agency next summer. As Fischer writes, Kuminga could reasonably view offseason interest from Sacramento, Phoenix and Chicago as an encouraging sign for his potential market in 2026.
Signing the QO, which has a deadline of Oct. 1, would undoubtedly be risky for Kuminga, but it might be even riskier for the Warriors, Fischer notes, since they don’t want to lose the former No. 7 overall pick for nothing.
The daily Kuminga article. There will be nothing to report unless a big injury happens and a team gets desperate to bring Kuminga on. He is taking the QO because he has no other choice.
Warriors are bluffing for sure. They absolutely do not want QO for Kuminga. Warriors trio do not want that. It screws up Warriors team building plans. If Warriors allow Kuminga to sign QO, it would mean the real beginning of rebuild phase and end of the Curry era.
Warriors are probably willing to give up team option year 2. Thats why I say they are bluffing for now. 2 yr guarantee would sound much better than $8m.
Funniest possible outcome:
GSW keeps Kuminga on the QO, they win a title, then they extend him after he is a free agent. All of these articles and takes will have been for nothing. Lol.
Both sides need to compromise in some way
No idea why GSW won’t sign him to a 3/75 deal. No reason not to.
To the cap gurus on here. Can Kuminga sign the QO and request a trade to the team of his choice seeing how he has the power to veto any trade. Then sign a extension. If so, when can this happen? There are a teams out there that do project to have significant amount of cap space.
He can only veto a trade.
He’s going to go where be agrees to lol. Otherwise what’s the point of signing QO. Warriors will try to accommodate him so they can move on. Only stipulation is. New team cannot sign him to new deal.Till end of year. So team he is traded to. Must have a verbal commitment he will resign. Best way for that to happen. Is give him what he is looking for.
A chance to start. And a decent long term deal. Imo he is worth it to certain teams.
I think that’s another piece to This whole equation Al.
A team who trades for him with the qualifying offer and the handshake deal to re-sign at the end of the season, doesn’t have that guarantee.
They won’t give up much for Jonathan Kuminga because he has shown that if he’s unhappy or doesn’t get the treatment he likes or isn’t used the right way, he’ll want out.
So it’s a gamble for the incoming team.
What would you give up on a gamble like that?
We know the kid is volatile so here’s another element of the entire equation that complicates things.
He’s not threatening to holdout or anything like that. He’s doing what every person in the world does and expressing his contract requirements. I would gladly trade for him. Not sure what his max is but I think he’s definitely worth 15-20 per year on a 3 or 4 year deal. If he’s expecting more than that I will pass.
The problem for him with taking the QO is that he then basically has to stay with GSW the whole season. The purpose of a trade for him would be to go to a team willing to pay him next offseason. If he approves a trade though he loses bird rights and can only get 120% of 7.9M unless the team has cap room or an exception. He also isnt giving Kerr any reason to play him if he isnt performing. So he would be staying with the team, and hoping he could raise his value, while also banking on a cap room team next year giving him a real deal where he wants to play.
He is going to take some deal from GSW because even on the 1 -1 if he loses bird rights he can start a deal at 120% of 23M.
@ Chapman…thanks.
Trade Butler, Kuminga, Toohey’s draft rights and a pick to Houston for Durant and Adams or Capela
Kuminga, Butler, Podz, Post, Buddy, Moody and Toohey for Lebron, Durant, Adams and Bronny in a multi-teamer after Dec 15.
Fill the rest with 3 free agents on the min to play on the Steph/Bron/KD/Dray superteam.
Win another chip.
Isn’t September 5th a key date? When Brooks and Green can be aggregated again.
The recurring theme that the PHX offer doesn’t meet GS’s asking price never seems to connect with the fact that what PHX can muster changes drastically in two weeks.
Though it’s unlikely Green / Brooks go to GS directly, the ability to aggregate these assets in a multi-player multi-team framework is a big difference maker that looms.
Post 9/5, if not already, Phoenix can acquire the draft assets GS desires, but will they foot the bill to acquire them to get the deal over the line?
Brooks Butler and Draymond on the same team would be fun to watch defensively. They’d have every team in their feelings.
Kuminga trade value is $12 million so Green / Brooks would need a 3rd team for a trade since both make more than $12 million.
Are you really getting draft assets of value for Brooks/Green? Like you could get something for them, but I doubt its better than 1 protected first unless you take tons of bad money back.
They have no draft assets of value currently.
They have no player of value to the GSW roster that they want.
You still have the problem with BYC where PHX would have to send out matching money for Kumingas salary and GSW could only take back half. So somebodies still got to pay a 3rd team to eat a contract to make the matching work.
I’m convinced at this point he accepts the QO
That would be really dumb of him imo. It basically ensures Golden State don’t bother playing him which would tank his value in free agency.
At least if he accepts what they are offering him he makes way more money and they have an incentive to play him so they can use him as a trade chip.
I personally think his approach to all this is completely backwards.
Kuminga should have accepted the 2/45 and the fact he will be dealt along with Jimmy (multi teamer) for Giannis or Lebron or Jaylen Brown or Jarrett Allen or Zion or Hartenstein or Sabonis or H Barnes or Lauri.
“It basically ensures Golden State don’t bother playing him which would tank his value in free agency.”
He would be in the same boat as any other player is in his contract year. Hachimura, Coby White, Dean Wade and many others are going into their contract year and depend on having playing time and a role. If their coaches don’t see them in rotations, or they don’t get minutes for political reasons, they are not getting a big payday next summer. Are those players dumb too?
If Kuminga is on the team, he will play. Like, what if Jimmy gets hurt? Kuminga time.
At this point, you have to wonder if Kuminga really wants to play basketball. He wants to be an All-Star. But, as we saw last year, he concentrated to much on his contract and his offense struggled. The Warriors offense is built on ball movement, being unselfish, and finding the open man. That didn’t happen last season until Butler came along. Butler is willing to teach; Kerr has tried. It is up to him now.
It’s crazy he compares himself to kawhi when Kawhi spent the first four years of his career doing for spurs what warriors wanted kuminga to do for them! Kawhi didn’t just get handed a starting role he busted his butt as s low usage defender who gradually earned more an more on ball opportunities till he became a star
And Kawhi showed insane growth as a player to get that opportunity. He earned that, Kuminga is totally missing that point. You are spot on with this.
Wait he compares himself to the claw? LMFAO that’s hilarious!!!!
@Noel1982
Except Kawhi started every game he was available for the Spurs after his rookie season, where he started 39 games including the last 23, and at the end of year 2 he’d started 96 games.
In comparison, Kuminga started 28 games in his 1st 2 seasons.
Kawhi also never got benched or jerked around bc he didn’t let his lack of touches impact his effort and focus on defense
He also can just use his current teammate is reference ! Jimmy butler came up the same way warriors envisioned with Kuminga and his rise was even slower snd gradual
@Noel1982
Do you have any evidence that Kuminga “let his lack of touches impact his effort and focus on defense”?
I have evidence to the contrary, as a rookie he had a career best Drtg of 108.
Kuminga still has a ring from his contributions that year. He played on a championship team. He’s not some curse to the team like Kerr has become since 2023.
I’m sure he still wants to play. He just doesn’t want to sign on with a team and give up millions then leave his fate in their hands.
Give up millions? He isn’t getting more somewhere else though. Taking the QO would be giving up millions.
The Bulls have said they will pay Kuminga more than the Warriors want to.
Also the Bulls have said they dont want to pay Giddey, but the Warriors have said they will offer him more than the Bulls.
Hmm…what to do what to do???
Kidding, we all know the rules prevent this trade without crippling the teams. The rules gotta be edited to figure out an easier way to avoid all this in future.
You dont say?
Warriors FO quickly showing all the other future restricted FAs to stay far away from that hell hole
One of them is getting tossed from nearly every game for sure
Jimmy Passive Buckets be counting his joy, all 121M of it ….. as this Kuminga thing lingers on.
24-8 to end the year and then were cruising towards the WCF til Curry’s injury. Jimmy has been an asset on the Warriors.
Cruising, really?
Must be a different NBA I was watching.
G1 vs Minnesota was EZ pickings. Rest of series was heading towards the same results. Curry was simply elite in last years playoffs, you were NOT watching if you do not acknowledge. Houston tested them, but ultimately they passed. Beating a higher seed team is hard and they did it.
24-8 against the lower half of the league. GSW really showed their colors after getting a lucky draw with the inexperienced Rockets and then getting a gentleman’s sweep by a WCF team in the TWolves.
NBA needs to fix this. Just get rid of RFA. Kuminga just needs to sign the QO and tell GS he’s leaving after this season. GS won’t even be much worse letting that trash can go.
calling a 22 year old who’s had his development stunted by Kerr a “trash can” is crazy work
Warriors fans still crying and blaming the player …
So adorable to support your team at all costs.
The end is here lols. Warriors only want to sign their FAs in waiting. They don’t care about Kuminga. They are waiting for him to sign the QO. So they can move on. Horford, Payton, Melton. Kuminga will not play for Warriors this year. Instead of crying and complaining. You should be looking at best deals out there for Kuminga. There are teams out there who like him. They are just not going to hand over assets to Warriors. Warriors are not in a position of strength. They will just have to wait it out for best offer.
Ok Al, what teams are in love with Kuminga? We’ve already seen a few of them. Not to excited. Kuminga will be back to his old tricks. All-Star money for an inconsistent offense.