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.
Both sides need to compromise in some way
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.