The Warriors and restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga remain far apart in contract negotiations, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson. Signing his $7.9MM qualifying offer and becoming an unrestricted free agent next season “remains the most attractive offer to Kuminga,” Johnson reports.
The Warriors-Kuminga saga has dragged on throughout the offseason, as it has for a few other prominent restricted free agents, with no resolution in sight despite the opening of training camps later this month.
Golden State has offered Kuminga a two-year deal worth approximately $45MM, insisting on a team option for the second year. Kuminga’s representatives are holding firm on their desire for a player option.
The impasse might be resolved if the Warriors drop their team option demand or perhaps if they front-load the contract. Golden State’s insistence that Kuminga give up his right to veto a trade on a one-plus-one deal may also be a sticking point.
If Kuminga winds up signing the QO, there is inherent risk for both sides. The 22-year-old forward’s value could drop if he isn’t part of Steve Kerr‘s regular rotation or if he suffers a major injury. However, Golden State could suffer more short-term risk. The QO would come with a no-trade clause for 2025/26 and Kuminga’s modest cap hit would make it difficult for Golden State to move him even if he’s willing to approve a deal.
A recent report indicated that 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.
The Warriors need to act this month to fill out their roster. As our roster counts display, they have nine players on standard contracts, only seven of which are fully guaranteed. They have just one two-way player signed and both of their draft picks remain unsigned. Golden State has essentially frozen roster moves until the Kuminga issue is resolved.
How about a trade for Grimes for Kuminga?
BYC applying both ways means its virtually impossible for any of the RFAs to be traded for each other. Both teams would only have half the money count and both would have to send more salary to 3rd teams with space. Its not an option.
BYC! BYC! BYC!
Butler, Kuminga, Toohey’s draft rights and picks to Houston for Durant and Adams or Capela
its is obvious that Kuminga takes the QO. His problem is will he prove to be an allstar this year. Many young players are told they are great so their agents can live off the big contract. His agent did him real dirty last year when he was offered the $100 million contract and he turned it down.
He’s going to end up just like Schroeder did.
I doubt he gets that huge contract that he covets. right now no team wants to take that chance since the trade offers were so bad.
Schroder wanted 4/100, turned down 4/84, and never got anything close to that again. I get the spirit of what you’re saying but Kuminga hasn’t gotten anything close to that yet.
If he takes the QO:
He loses a bunch of money this season. So next year he would need to earn like 40M to make himself whole on the gamble.
He will still lose his Bird rights if traded, so that after an approved trade the team he goes to can only offer 120% of 7.9M. If he signs the deal theyre offering he would still lose his Bird when traded, but he would be able to sign for a starting salary of 120% of 23M instead.
If he signs the QO Kerr has no incentive to feature him, whereas if he takes the trade me deal the team will want to make him an attractive piece and feature him.
If he gets injured he may not get much of a contract next season.
Even if he becomes a UFA next offseason, unless a team with cap space wants to use it on him, he will still need to be signed and traded in a deal where GSW need get something for doing it.
The team was interested in something below 150M last year. His people made it clear they thought he was a near max. I dont think the team ever really countered with an actual contract offer once they knew the sides were so far apart.
It would be almost insane for him to take the QO. It would also be pretty nuts not to make the contract offer a little more appealing in order to have his salary on the books for a real amount. This is a game of chicken where no side wants him on the QO, but who blinks first is anyones guess.
Well done and rational…
A guess would be that JK’s agency have multiple plans mapped, one of which makes the QO viable. Not sure teams need a 2025 showcase of JK; if Kerr sits him it more likely represents less wear and tear, to most teams.
A big driver of a sign/trade is that it eliminates a decisive voice in the locker room (e.g. Butler/Miami 24/25 and his three team suspensions)…
I think it’s crazy that he would consider 7.9 million versus 22.5 million. He’ll be a free agent next summer in either case !!
Worst case he’ll be a free agent in two summers WITH $45 MILLION in his pocket Lol
I really don’t get it. People talk about his value suffering. What’s his value now? It’s in the toilet.
If he signs for 22.5 and Kerr doesn’t play him much then he’s in the same boat next summer as he is right now.., but as an UNRESTRICTED free agent.
Then He can go wherever he wants. He can take that 7.9 for 1 year if a team doesn’t have room.
I think it has to do with his agent more than Kuminga. He is getting very bad advice. He could have had that 4 year deal at $25 a year last year but he insisted on the max deal. Now anything he signs makes his agent look bad so teh agent is telling him these fantasies that he will get a max deal next year.
The agent stands to lose ~$520,000 if he signs the QO. So it’s extremely unlikely that his agent is encouraging him to do that.
10% of 23M is 2.3M. 10% of 7.9M is 790k. The agent would be betting on getting a long contract on the books next offseason since they still get paid on the deal they negotiated even if they get fired before its completed.
Underestimating the agency…
If he signs the deal he is NOT an unrestricted free agent next summer. Golden state would have a team option on him. That’s the main issue right now. Read the article…
I thought it was a team option? Are you saying it’s a standard two-year contract locked in for two years? I did read the article.
Worst case scenario for Jonathan Kuminga is that the Warriors pick up that team option, pay him another $22.5 million, and then he’s an unrestricted free agent in two years instead of one year.
You’d rather take 7.9 and be free one year earlier? Assuming that the Warriors would pick up that option no matter what?
I just disagree with that. I think it’s stupid.
The 2nd year is a team option year. Kuminga gives up his no trade option if he signs the 2 year deal.
Kerr obviously is not a fan of his. If he signs the two-year contract, he could used (or not used) in a way that tanks his value after that, he could also be traded to a team he does not want to go to, who would then have his rights. He is playing a dangerous game. He is either trying to call their bluff or he is betting on himself, or both.
I dont think he dislikes him. I dont know if Kuminga tattling to the media in the past has caused friction. Like Kerr was honest. Kuminga came back from a long absence looking rusty, shooting terrible, and his fit with the starting lineup got worse. The team was winning like crazy till Kuminga came back, possibly not 100% yet, and started losing the minute he was back in. Like Im sure its hard to swallow for the kid, but with the standings and everything else I get it.
Kuminga could solve a lot of this by listening to the coaches and doing the things they want him to like cut, rebound, and not ball watch on defense.
He is either a FA or he gets 2/45M which seems to be shorter years and similar money to what other teams are offering. So its not like the Kings would pay 40M. He doesnt like the team having control, and the money not being fully guaranteed.
Clearly he views an opportunity to show that he is worth more than what he’s being offered as more appealing than a lump sum in the short term. Playing time as well. Kind of surprising that more of the people on this site aren’t championing him for betting on himself, especially the people who championed him for merely existing the past couple seasons. Negativity is more attractive than positivity. Seems like more people on this site would rather him fail than succeed. Interesting how that change coincided with his potential departure from GS.
If he signed a team friendly deal at this point, Id give it 2 weeks before he’s only mentioned almost exclusively as a promising young future All NBA guy.
All warrior fans would love to see him play like an allstar which would mean the warriors are a top 4 team in the west. If he did have an allstar year lacob would be willing to give him the max extension he would deserve. The problem is he must prove he is worth all that money and so far he has not. He is not even a top 100 player in the NBA.
He would have been worth it in the old CBA world 5 years ago. Players need to realize this isnt the same market that gave Quickley 160M or whatever that nonsense contract was.
Its hard to tell what his value really is. Like no team has space to put in an offer sheet. The trades are all super complicated by BYC so its not even clear whats making them not work, whether its the value of assets or complications of making the trade legal.
What’s the deal with Grimes? Is there any chance he gets traded back to New york?
I mean again BYC makes any deal complicated since Grimes counts for 50% of his contract outgoing but NY would have to trade the full amount.
NYK dont really have salary outside the starters and Hart. They also dont have much of any draft picks left. So pretty hard to make a deal work, and it would cost NYK a rotation piece they value for the salary matching.
@ Gary….reported offer of $45mil two years. I do remember Schroeder and his agent laughing at such reports from the Lakers. ‘What contract’.
Taking the QO is obviously a bluff by Kuminga’s camp.
It would hurt himself, but his angle is that it would hurt the Warriors for him to take it.
So it’s an attempt to have the Warriors increase their offer.
That’s not gonna happen. You take the one plus one at 22.5 or you sit at home.
That’s the deal and that’s the deal that will go down.
Might want to take a screenshot of this (unless of course the Warriors cave and give him 23.5 lol.)
I mean yes and no for GSW. If you assume he isnt getting traded and will be on the team this season either way, then they lose some future value potentially by letting JK walk, or getting less for him.
The flip side is if he takes the QO your 17M below the first apron and can use the BAE and TPMLE while signing a full roster of vet mins. The team would also then have the 8M Anderson TPE to just take a contract with nothing outgoing in season, and could sign any buyout guys without restrictions. You probably have a better roster this season with him on the QO, but it probably is worse next season if he walks for minimal return.
Great points chapman
The problem I see is his agent gave him terrible advice last year by turning down that $100 million deal the warriors offered him. The agent doesn’t want to admit he cost Kuminga a huge amount of money. Kuminga is his biggest name so the agent wants a huge pay day. Using Kuminga because if there is not a big market its Kuminga who gets hurt.
I remember a long time ago Scott Boras represented a pitcher that was a top draft pick. He was offered a good contract about $10 million but Boras had him decline it and stay in school to get a better contract next year. The pitchers ended up injured his shoulder and was a late round pick ended up getting $50,000 contract but never pitch beyond the minors.
Im pretty sure they never offered him a deal he could turn down. The two sides were so far apart no actual offer was made.
Would the team have offered 4/100M if they thought he would take it? Probably. But still no actual offer was ever made.
JK takes a QO and stays with GSW, but then becomes an RFA, then where does the BYC play in? SGA to GSW in an S&T for JK and DC’s?
BYC only applies to this year as an RFA. Next offseason it would just be a normal S&T where he counts for the full salary outgoing. Of course then GSW have to take back matching, so who knows if a deal could really get done without him just signing with a team with cap space.
WAS will have like 100M in space next offseason, so there is that.
Give him the player option. Give him a reason to ball out and test the market again. He have a good reason to play harder on D and earn his minutes
If you give him the player option, then he’s a rental.
Nobody will give the Warriors anything back in trade for a rental who’s not a mercenary. He hasn’t developed his game enough to be a hired hand and signed up for the playoff push next trade deadline.
Player option for year two is definitely not on the table.
^ this is the best path both sides should be moving towards
It’s funny to see the media recycling this same old information as if it’s new. Kuminga understands that GSW doesn’t want him to sign the QO, and he’s hoping the time pressure by the 29th will get them to give him some improvement in their offer.
If GSW do not like the returns being offered in the trades, and they aren’t planning a significant role for him in the upcoming season, and Kuminga has a NTC if he signs the QO… how exactly do the returns ever get better than they are now?
You dont have to trade Moody for the privilege of being stuck with Monks contract…
JK is represented by A&A, an international- themed agency that focuses heavily on a player’s brand (marketing). Bottom line, JK wants control of his next destination as he’s mapped as a fashion-forward icon for pan-Africa (similar to Giannis/Greece). If JK signs the QO and Coach Kerr underutilizes him, other teams will know it is a leveraged standoff, not merit-based. Bottom line, JK has made it clear that he doesn’t want to be locked into a team-controlled deal. The player will win this stand-off…