Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Kuminga, Heat, GPII, Portis, Jones, Bulls

June 28th, 2025 at 7:40pm CST by Luke Adams

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).

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.

Warriors Make Jonathan Kuminga Restricted FA

June 28th, 2025 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have issued qualifying offers to three players, making them restricted free agents, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

That trio includes forward Jonathan Kuminga, one of this summer’s most intriguing young free agents. The 22-year-old received a qualifying offer worth roughly $7.98MM. The other two players getting qualifying offers from the Warriors are Taran Armstrong and Nico Mannion — they both received two-way QOs.

Kuminga, whose season was derailed in January by a badly sprained ankle that sidelined him for over two months, has an inconsistent rotation role for Golden State in 2024/25, continuing a years-long trend. He averaged just 24.3 minutes per game and struggled to settle into a regular role following the trade-deadline acquisition of Jimmy Butler, since lineups featuring Kuminga, Butler, and Draymond Green didn’t feature enough shooting to be viable. That trio had a -24.9 net rating in just 38 minutes together during the regular season.

Kuminga, who posted career lows in shooting percentage (45.4%) and three-point percentage (30.5%), even earned DNP-CDs during a handful of games at the end of the season, in the play-in, and in the first round of the playoffs. However, a Stephen Curry hamstring strain in the second round of the postseason opened the door for him to reclaim a major offensive role and give his stock a boost entering free agency — he averaged 24.3 points per night on .554/.389/.720 shooting in those games.

Kuminga spoke recently about wanting to claim more of a featured role going forward, whether that happens with the Warriors or another team.

As we explain in our glossary entry, a qualifying offer is a procedural one-year contract offer, with the value determined by the player’s draft slot and/or previous salary. For some RFAs, the qualifying offer simply serve as a placeholder while the player and the team work out a multiyear deal. In other cases – especially for two-way players like Armstrong – the QO is more likely to be accepted.

Mannion hasn’t been with the Warriors since 2021, having played overseas since then, but the team continues to tender him a two-way qualifying offer every June in order to retain his RFA rights in case he eventually returns to the NBA.

And-Ones: 2025 Draft Grades, 2026 Class, France, Gabriel

June 28th, 2025 at 10:04am CST by Earnest Marshall

Five teams earned ‘A’ grades on Sam Vecenie’s post-draft report card for The Athletic, including four teams who had picks in the top six. The fifth team to earn an A was the Hawks, primarily for landing an unprotected 2026 first-round pick from the Pelicans to drop 10 spots in the middle of the first round.

Another 18 teams earned ‘B-‘ to ‘B+’ grades, meaning they mostly met or exceeded the value expected at their respective draft slots. Multiple clubs who only had second-round picks, like the Cavaliers and Warriors, found themselves in this tier. A few teams who ended up landing players who slid from pre-draft projections also ended up in this group, with the Jazz getting Ace Bailey at No. 5, the Heat landing Kasparas Jakucionis at No. 20 and the Thunder getting Thomas Sorber at No. 15.

That left five teams to earn a mark of ‘C’ or lower from Vecenie (Houston and Denver did not make any selections). The Pelicans were marked down for the haul they gave up to move up from No. 23 to No. 13 and select Derik Queen. The Nets were questioned for making three selections – Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf – with positional overlap, while the Knicks earned a middling grade for selecting a stash player who may not make it to the league.

We have more from around the basketball world:

The 2026 draft looks to be loaded on paper, with a strong blend of returners who would have been drafted this year and high-level incoming talent. In ESPN’s first full 2026 mock draft, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have Darryn Peterson of Kansas as the No. 1 overall pick. A.J. Dybantsa (BYU), Cameron Boozer (Duke), Nate Ament (Tennessee) and Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville) round out their top five. Among returning college players, Jayden Quaintance (No. 6, Kentucky) and Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 14, Michigan) are the highest-ranking.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report‘s top three looks identical to ESPN’s, but he has Arizona’s Koa Peat at No. 4 in his first 2026 mock draft. Another significant difference between the two boards is Baylor wing Tounde Yessoufou‘s spot — Wasserman has him at No. 6, but ESPN places him at No. 23.
France has named its 18-man preliminary roster for EuroBasket 2025, per the team (Twitter link). Bilal Coulibaly, Moussa Diabate, Ousmane Dieng, Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr and Guerschon Yabusele are the current NBA players on the roster. Former NBAers on the team include Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Frank Ntilikina and Theo Maledon, among others.
Former NBA player Wenyen Gabriel is leaving Panathinaikos to sign with Bayern Munich in Germany, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. Gabriel played his first EuroLeague season in 2024/25, averaging 6.0 points per game, and will remain in the league by signing with Bayern. The 6’9″ big man played 150 NBA games from 2019-24 across stints with the Lakers, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, Kings and others. He averaged 4.4 PPG and 3.4 RPG for his career.

Coleman Hawkins Expected To Attend Warriors’ Training Camp

June 27th, 2025 at 4:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Illinois and Kansas State forward Coleman Hawkins is expected to attend training camp with the Warriors, a source tells Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 (Twitter link). He’ll also play for the Warriors’ Summer League team, tweets Bryan Kalbrosky of USA Today.

While Goodman doesn’t provide any specifics on Hawkins’ potential contract with Golden State, a training camp invitee would typically receive an Exhibit 10 deal, which is a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum contract that doesn’t count toward the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster.

After spending four years with the Fighting Illini, Hawkins transferred to Kansas State in 2024 ahead of his final college season. He filled up the stat sheet as a full-time starter for the Wildcats, averaging 10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game, though he did struggle to score efficiently, shooting 40.1% from the field (30.3% on three-pointers) and 57.7% from the free throw line.

Hawkins, who wasn’t ranked among this year’s top 100 draft-eligible prospects by ESPN or The Athletic, is the third undrafted rookie reported to have a potential camp deal in place with Golden State, joining LJ Cryer and Chance McMillian.

Warriors Reach Deals With LJ Cryer, Chance McMillian

June 27th, 2025 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the 2025 draft, the Warriors have agreed to terms with a pair of guards who weren’t selected this week.

Golden State intends to sign Houston’s LJ Cryer to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston (Twitter link), and have also reached an agreement on a deal with Texas Tech’s Chance McMillian, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).

Cryer, who won an NCAA title with Baylor back in 2021, spent his first three college seasons with the Bears before transferring to Houston for his final two years of NCAA eligibility. One of the NCAA’s very best shooters, the 6’1″ guard has a career 41.3% success rate on 6.3 three-point attempts per game.

The 23-year-old had his best individual season in 2024/25 for a Houston team that advanced to the championship game. He averaged 15.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game with a .424 3PT%, earning a spot on the All-Big 12 first team and being named a third-team All-American. Among this year’s draft-eligible prospects who weren’t taken on Wednesday or Thursday, Cryer ranked 37th on ESPN’s board.

McMillian placed just behind Cryer on that list, at No. 39. The 6’2″ guard was also a five-year college player, with three seasons at Grand Canyon followed by two with the Red Raiders.

After coming off the bench for Texas Tech in 2023/24, McMillian emerged as a full-time starter in his final season, averaging 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 32.8 minutes per night. He’s another marksman, having knocked down 40.8% of his shots from beyond the arc across five seasons, including 43.3% in ’24/25.

While Cryer’s deal is reported to be an Exhibit 10, Givony doesn’t provide any specifics on McMillian’s agreement. It seems safe to assume at this point that it’s also an Exhibit 10.

Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed deals that essentially serve as training camp invites. They can be converted to two-way contracts prior to the regular season or put a player in line to earn a bonus worth up to $85K if he’s waived before the season and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Grizzlies Trade No. 56 Pick Will Richard To Warriors

June 26th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Earnest Marshall

July 6: The trade is now official, the Grizzlies announced in a press release (Twitter link).

June 26: The Grizzlies have agreed to trade the No. 56 pick in the draft – used to select Florida’s Will Richard – to the Warriors, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Memphis moved down to No. 59, which had been controlled by Golden State, as part of the swap. The Grizzlies used that pick to select Tennessee’s Jahmai Mashack.

Richard was a key part in Florida bringing home the national championship this season. He averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game as a senior in 2024/25.

In order to move up to get Richard, the Warriors will give up the rights to 2020 draft pick Justinian Jessup and a top-50 protected 2032 second-round pick along with the No. 59 selection, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link).

The No. 59 pick has changed hands several teams this offseason, including as part of the Kevin Durant trade, when it was sent from the Rockets to the Suns. Phoenix subsequently flipped it to the Warriors, who are now sending it to Memphis. Because the original Durant deal can’t become official until July, this trade will have to wait until next month too.

Warriors Trading No. 41 Pick To Suns For Nos. 52, 59

June 26th, 2025 at 5:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns are acquiring another pick in the top half of the second round, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the Warriors have agreed to send the No. 41 overall selection to Phoenix in exchange for No. 52 and No. 59.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 reported earlier in the day that the Suns were looking to package their late second-rounders to move up, with Golden State viewed as a potential trade partner.

The Suns entered Thursday armed with the 52nd and 59th overall picks in the second round, but now control Nos. 36 and 41 after reaching an agreement this afternoon to send Brooklyn a pair of future second-rounders for the Nets’ lone 2025 second-rounder at No. 36.

It’s unclear whether the Suns plan to use both of those 36th and 41th overall picks or whether there could be more deals to come.

[UPDATE: Suns Moving Up From No. 36 To No. 31]

As for the Warriors, their decision to trade down to pick up an extra second-rounder suggests there’s no one specific they had their eye on at No. 41.

This trade won’t be officially finalized until July, since the No. 59 pick is technically still controlled by Houston — it’s heading to the Suns in the Kevin Durant trade, which can’t be completed until after the July moratorium for salary-cap reasons.

Lakers Trade 55th Pick, Cash To Bulls For 45th Pick

June 26th, 2025 at 11:26am CST by Rory Maher

June 30: The trade is now official, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, who tweets that the Bulls received $2.5MM in cash in the deal, along with the draft rights to No. 55 pick Lachlan Olbrich, in exchange for the rights to No. 45 pick Rocco Zikarsky.

The Lakers subsequently traded up again – using the No. 45 pick and cash – to No. 36, but that trade won’t become official until after the July moratorium.

June 26: The Lakers are trading the 55th pick of the 2025 draft and cash to the Bulls for tonight’s 45th selection, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).

As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, the Lakers will now be hard-capped at the second tax apron for the 2025/26 season because they are sending out cash in the deal.

Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said during a Wednesday night press conference that Chicago was open to moving the No. 45 pick, either to move out of the second round or to select a draft-and-stash prospect. In this case the Bulls moved back 10 spots and added cash in the process.

Los Angeles is clearly targeting a player it likes and thinks will be available at No. 45 but may not have been at No. 55. In the past, sending out cash to move up in the draft wasn’t a big deal, but changes in the new CBA mean the Lakers will be unable to surpass the second apron — projected at $207.8MM — for next season.

Although they’ll lose a little bit of roster flexibility as a result of the trade, the Lakers were unlikely to exceed the second apron in ’25/26 anyway, notes Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron (Twitter link).

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), the Hornets (either No. 33 or No. 34), Raptors (No. 39), Warriors (No. 41) and Thunder (No. 44) are also open to trading their second-round picks. ESPN identified Charlotte this morning as a team to monitor with one of its early second-rounders.

The Timberwolves (No. 31) are also fielding trade inquiries on the first pick of the second round, sources tell Fischer (Twitter link).

Kings Rumors: Sabonis, PG Targets, Westbrook, Kuminga, LaVine

June 26th, 2025 at 12:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are viewed as “open for business” this offseason and appear willing to discuss a wide variety of potential trade scenarios, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

However, while that stance suggests Sacramento wouldn’t immediately shut down inquiries on Domantas Sabonis, team and league sources tell Amick that the club has continued to “signal a commitment” to its star center.

As Amick explains, Sabonis was frustrated by how the De’Aaron Fox situation played out, but he hasn’t asked for a trade and has had positive conversations with new head of basketball operations Scott Perry about the Kings’ plans going forward.

Here’s more on the Kings:

Following up on comments he made during a radio appearance, Amick confirms the Kings had some interest in Jrue Holiday before Boston agreed to send him to Portland, but were concerned about his age and contract. Amick also notes that some of the team’s “power-brokers” were interested in pursuing Hawks guard Trae Young, but the Kings opted against it due to his offense-first style of play and his sizable contract.
Confirming that the Kings have serious interest in Dennis Schröder and are eyeing Tyus Jones, as has been previously reported, Amick says former MVP Russell Westbrook is among the other free agent point guards the front office is considering. Westbrook is on track for unrestricted free agency after declining his player option with Denver.
While Amick classifies it as a long shot, he says the Kings will be among the teams with interest in Warriors restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga this summer. Miami and Chicago have previously been mentioned as possible suitors for Kuminga, who is hoping for an increased role whether he remains in Golden State or ends up elsewhere.
Zach LaVine will become extension-eligible this offseason, but Sacramento has no plans to make a new deal for LaVine a priority, league sources tell Amick. The former Bull has one guaranteed year worth $47.5MM left on his current contract, with a $49MM player option for 2026/27.

Warriors RFA Kuminga ‘Aiming To Be An All-Star’

June 25th, 2025 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

As he prepares for restricted free agency, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is training at workout facilities in Cleveland and preparing for the 2025/26 season in the hopes of having a more significant role, wherever he ends up, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. As Slater writes, Kuminga has “long held a dream” of becoming a star who can lead a team and drive its offense.

“That’s what’s been on my mind,” Kuminga told Slater. “Things take time, but I feel like I’m at the point where that has to be my priority, to just be one of the guys a team relies on. Aiming to be an All-Star. Multiple times. Aiming to be great. … Wherever I’m going to be at, it don’t matter if it’s the Warriors or if it’s anywhere else, it’s something I want. I want to see what I could do. I know I got it. So I want to really see. I’ve never got that chance.”

As Kuminga notes, he hasn’t consistently gotten the opportunity to play a starring role in Golden State. His minutes and his role have fluctuated during four seasons with the Warriors, all the way up until this spring — he was out of the rotation at the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs before averaging 24.3 points per game in the final four contests of Golden State’s season with Stephen Curry sidelined due to a hamstring injury.

“I did it here and there, but it was never a consistent role, a consistent role given to me,” Kuminga said. “It only happens five games on, 10 games off. I want it to be a consistent role. Because I know what I got. I know what I could bring. I know how much work I put in. I know I’m dedicated to this game, how much I love the game.”

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke this week about the need to more firmly establish a role for Kuminga if he returns, and Golden State should be in the driver’s seat during his free agency process, since the 22-year-old will be restricted. Still, there are teams expected to have interest in the former No. 7 overall pick.

Slater confirms previous reporting by stating that the Heat have “legitimate” interest in Kuminga after missing out on Kevin Durant. A league source confirms to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald that Miami is eyeing Kuminga, though the Herald duo says the team is considering other options too.

Whatever happens with Kuminga in restricted free agency, he’s confident that agent Aaron Turner will find the best outcome for him.

“I trust my people, trust my agent,” Kuminga told Slater. “I want to know more about how this trade stuff goes, how this sign-and-trade goes or how this contract goes. I want to learn more about it. But most of the time I just focus on playing, just working. The better I get, wherever I get my chance, it’s going to show.

“Wherever I go, wherever I’ll be, off the rip, I just want them to be like, ‘Oh, yeah, he deserved what he got. He deserved to be here. He worked hard for it.’ Wherever it is, that’s what I want it to feel like. I want to be great. I feel like I’m capable of being that, capable of doing some special things and I won’t just let it go like that. The only way to get there is just to lock in every single day.”