Warriors Rumors

Checking In On Unsigned 2025 NBA Draft Picks

As our tracker shows, 51 of the 59 players selected in the 2025 draft in June have signed their first NBA contracts. That group includes all 30 first-round picks getting rookie scale contracts, 11 second-round picks signing standard contracts, and 10 more second-rounders receiving two-way deals.

On top of those 51 players, two more will reportedly remain overseas for the 2025/26 season, with Bucks second-rounder Bogoljub Markovic rejoining Mega Basket in Serbia and Cavaliers second-rounder Saliou Niang signing with Virtus Bologna in Italy.

That leaves just six players from the 2025 draft class whose ’25/26 plans remain up in the air. Those players are as follows:

  1. Boston Celtics: Amari Williams
  2. New York Knicks: Mohamed Diawara
  3. Golden State Warriors: Alex Toohey
  4. Utah Jazz: John Tonje
  5. Golden State Warriors: Will Richard
  6. Memphis Grizzlies: Jahmai Mashack

Let’s start with Williams, the only top-50 pick who doesn’t have a deal in place. Former ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony reported on draft night that the No. 46 overall pick would be signing a two-way contract with the Celtics, and that still looks like a possibility.

Boston doesn’t have a two-way opening, but Miles Norris is a carry-over from last season and it’s unclear whether the team has legitimate interest in retaining RJ Luis after acquiring him from Utah on Wednesday or if he was simply a placeholder to make the deal work. Either player could be waived to open up a spot for Williams.

As Wednesday’s Georges Niang deal showed, however, the Celtics continue to explore their options on the trade market and may make a real effort to duck below the luxury tax line. In that scenario, signing Williams to a standard contract that pays him the rookie minimum might make some sense, since it would allow the C’s to keep their costs as low as possible for their 14th man.

The Knicks have somewhat similar cap considerations to evaluate with Diawara. They’re currently carrying 12 players on standard contracts and they don’t have enough room below a second-apron hard cap to add two more players on veteran minimum deals. That means their 14th man figures to be a player on a rookie-minimum contract.

Diawara is a candidate to be that 14th man, but he’s not the only one — 2023 second-rounder James Nnaji is another possibility. If Diawara isn’t signed to a standard contract, he’ll likely end up on a two-way deal, given that the Knicks have three open slots and his former team in France announced last month that he was leaving for the NBA.

The Warriors have a pair of two-way openings that Toohey and Richard could end up filling, but they’ll probably keep their options open until Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency is resolved. Depending on what happens with Kuminga, Golden State may want to add either Toohey or Richard to its 15-man roster on a rookie minimum contract in order to maximize its cap flexibility below a hard cap or to avoid crossing over into first or second tax apron territory.

Before trading Luis to Boston on Wednesday, the Jazz just had one open two-way slot, with Tonje and two-way restricted free agent Oscar Tshiebwe both candidates to fill it. With Luis out of the picture, Utah could sign both players to two-way contracts without having to waive anyone, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the plan.

As for the Grizzlies and Mashack, he looks like the most obvious candidate to fill Memphis’ lone two-way opening. But it’s worth noting that there’s often at least one player per draft class who ends up being a domestic draft-and-stash, spending his rookie season in the G League without signing an NBA or two-way contract. We’ll see if the Grizzlies want to try to go that route with Mashack or if he simply ends up on a two-way deal.

Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Kings, Suns, Green

The Warriors do not want to include the contract of either Moses Moody or Buddy Hield as part of a possible Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade with the Kings, Sam Amick of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter). That essentially stalls the deal indefinitely, as Golden State would need to move off one of those players in order to take back Malik Monk and fill out the rest of its roster.

There’s still plenty of time left between now and the October 1 deadline for Kuminga to accept his qualifying offer, so it’s possible other suitors or offers will emerge for the restricted free agent forward, but for now, Golden State expects Kuminga to return to the team for 2025/26.

Kuminga was injured for much of the 2024/25, but when he did play, the 22-year-old showed his athleticism and scoring ability. In 47 healthy games, he averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per contest.

There’s more out of the Pacific Division:

  • Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic confirms that there’s mutual interest between the Suns and Kuminga, but acknowledges that a deal between Phoenix and the Warriors looks like an extreme long shot at this point. According to Rankin, the 6’7″ forward views the Suns as the kind of team where he’d get to enjoy a major, consistent role alongside an All-Star (Devin Booker). The Suns have talked to Booker’s agent, Aaron Turner, but the Warriors have shown no interest in the trade package Phoenix can offer.
  • While there has been some outside skepticism, the Suns are confident that newly added guard Jalen Green will be a good fit alongside Booker in their backcourt. Gerald Bourgeut of PHNX Sports breaks down three areas of Green’s game that the former No. 2 overall pick needs to improve for the pairing with Booker to succeed. Last year on the 52-30 Rockets, Green averaged a team-high 21.0 points, along with 3.4 dimes per game. He has intriguing upside as a supplemental creator and scorer next to Booker.
  • In case you missed it, Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James has reportedly been amenable to L.A.’s pivot to focusing its team-building around the younger Luka Doncic.

Warriors Don’t Expect To Trade Jonathan Kuminga

After making little progress in sign-and-trade talks, the Warriors expect Jonathan Kuminga to be on their roster when the season begins, a source tells Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard.

As a restricted free agent, Kuminga has been involved in a stalemate throughout the summer. No interested teams have enough cap space to make a competitive offer, and no one is willing to give Golden State what it wants in a potential deal. The Kings and Suns have been mentioned most prominently as possible trade partners for the 22-year-old forward, but negotiations have been fruitless so far.

Several sources tell Kawakami that the Warriors have been “unenthusiastic” about the prospect of trading Kuminga since the process began. Owner Joe Lacob remains a huge supporter of Kuminga and isn’t willing to part with him unless the trade package includes “real value.”

Kawakami adds that Lacob is willing to be patient until the situation is resolved. That means there’s no pressure on general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. to take the best available deal just to have a sense of certainty as training camp nears.

In the absence of an offer sheet from a rival team, Kuminga’s options are limited. He can either accept a reported two-year, $45MM offer from the Warriors that includes a team option for the second season, or he can sign his one-year, $8MM qualifying offer.

Kawakami views the Kings as the best destination for Kuminga and states that he probably would have signed with them by now if he had been unrestricted. Sacramento could offer a definite rotation role and is rumored to be willing to pay him $63MM over three years.

The Kings are reportedly offering Malik Monk and a protected future first-round pick in return, which hasn’t piqued the Warriors’ interest. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Golden State wants the pick to be unprotected, and Kawakami is doubtful that the team has interest in giving up Moses Moody or Buddy Hield, as one of them would have to be added to the deal due to base year compensation rules.

Kuminga has until October 1 to accept the qualifying offer, and Kawakami notes that the date can be pushed back if both sides agree. That means there’s no urgency to get a deal in place, especially from the team’s perspective.

Kawakami’s compromise solution is for the Warriors to replace the second-year team option in their proposal with a partially guaranteed year, perhaps around $14MM. That would guarantee Kuminga in excess of $30MM and take away his right to block a trade. Kawakami points out that it would provide a lot more security than taking the QO and would leave Kuminga with a contract that would be easy to move by the February trade deadline.

Stein’s Latest: Kuminga, Doncic, Vucevic, Fox, Love

Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agent negotiations with the Warriors continue to be one of the top lingering storylines of the NBA offseason. Following up on recent reports indicating that Kuminga has turned down a two-year, $45MM offer with a team option on the second year, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) notes that the team’s request for the forward to waive his implicit no-trade clause is part of the holdup.

A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract or a two-year deal with a second-year option gets the right to veto trades for the rest of the season, but that right can be waived as part of the contract agreement. Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince, and Jeff Green are among several players who have waived their veto rights when re-signing with their respective teams this summer.

A player in that position who consents to a trade – either by waiving his veto rights when he signs or by eventually approving an in-season trade – would lose any form of Bird rights as part of the deal and would have Non-Bird rights at the end of the season.

Aside from the contract negotiations, Stein writes that while Kuminga has returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he is still not expected to play in FIBA’s AfroBasket tournament this summer. No official decision has been announced yet, but it’s unlikely that Kuminga would suit up for the Congolese team if his contract situation remains unresolved.

Here’s more from Stein:

  • Much has been made about Luka Doncic‘s three-year max extension with the Lakers and what it means for him and the team’s future, but Stein points out an important detail regarding the timeline of the deal. The contract would allow Doncic to become an unrestricted free agent in 2028 when he has more than eight years of NBA service and four seasons with his current team, which means he would be eligible for a no-trade clause if he were to wait until ’28 free agency to sign a new contract with the Lakers. Stein writes that while Doncic will have technically played three-and-a-half years with the Lakers, he’d still meet the no-trade criteria because he would have finished four seasons with the Lakers, even if he started the first one in Dallas.
  • While the offseason buyout market has been particularly active this offseason, Stein cautions fans not to expect Bulls center Nikola Vucevic to join the likes of Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard this summer. He writes that unless a trade materializes in the next couple of months, Vucevic will very likely begin next season in Chicago. There has been speculation that the veteran big man could be a prime mid-season buyout candidate if no deal occurs by February’s trade deadline.
  • Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox became eligible on Sunday for a three- or four-year extension that would look like the one Doncic signed in L.A. However, Stein notes that with the rise of reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and the addition of Dylan Harper with the No. 2 overall pick, there are questions league-wide about whether such a max deal is an automatic decision for San Antonio.
  • Kevin Love is actively exploring landing spots in the case of a potential buyout from the Jazz after landing in Utah as a part of the Heat’s trade for Norman Powell, though Stein doesn’t name any possible suitors.

Jonathan Kuminga Rumors: Warriors, QO, Suns, Kings

Jonathan Kuminga has been unwilling to accept a two-year, $45MM offer from the Warriors that includes a second-year team option, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes, confirming reporting from ESPN. Amick also confirms that the restricted free agent forward has signaled an increased willingness to accept his one-year, $8MM qualifying offer.

Recognizing that it wouldn’t make a ton of financial sense for Kuminga to take the qualifying offer, Golden State is likely hoping that stance is a bluff, according to Amick, who says the Warriors’ “Plan A” is to convince the 22-year-old to re-sign on a short-term deal and then revisit trade options prior to February’s deadline, when it would be easier to move him.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Base Year Compensation]

The Suns are reportedly willing to offer Kuminga $90MM over four years, but sources tell Amick that sign-and-trade talks between Phoenix and Golden State haven’t “progressed in any serious manner,” with the Warriors not showing any real interest in the sort of package the Suns is offering. Marc J. Spears of ESPN previously mentioned Royce O’Neale, Nick Richards, and second-round picks as the primary assets Phoenix is willing to put on the table.

While the Kings have reportedly offered a package that includes Dario Saric, Devin Carter, and draft capital (reportedly multiple second-round picks or a protected first-rounder), they’ve also proposed a deal that would involve Malik Monk and a 2030 first-round pick, with Kuminga getting a three-year, $63MM contract, Amick reports. In that scenario, Amick explains, the 2030 pick would be lottery-protected and would turn into the least favorable of the Kings’ and Spurs’ 2031 first-rounders if it doesn’t convey in ’30.

The Warriors have insisted the first-round pick be unprotected, per Amick, which has been a sticking point. Additionally, other reports – including one from Matt George of Locked on Kings (YouTube link) – have indicated that Golden State doesn’t have much real interest in Monk either. Acquiring Monk without sending out any additional salary beyond Kuminga would hard-cap the Warriors at the first tax apron without the flexibility to fill out the rest of their roster, barring cost-cutting moves.

Here are a few more items of interest related to the Kuminga situation:

  • The Kings like the fact that Kuminga could be slotted in at the power forward position, allowing Keegan Murray to move to his preferred small forward spot, Amick writes, adding that Sacramento’s three-year, $63MM offer is designed to ensure the team avoids surpassing the luxury tax line this season.
  • Noting that possible Warriors free agent additions like Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton are in limbo while the team seeks resolution on Kuminga, Amick adds Gary Payton II to that list, suggesting a return to Golden State remains in play for the veteran guard.
  • While there has been speculation that the Kings would trade DeMar DeRozan if they acquire Kuminga, Matt George of Locked on Kings (YouTube link) says everything he’s heard suggests the front office isn’t eager to move DeRozan and would want to hang onto him even if Kuminga ends up in Sacramento. “Every single time I’ve inquired about the Kings moving on from DeMar DeRozan, I’ve been met with a pretty definitive ‘no, the Kings aren’t looking to trade him,'” George said. “But if they were to go out and get Jonathan Kuminga – which I still believe is unlikely at this point – they would ask DeRozan to come off the bench.”
  • Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com hears from sources that a two-year, $48MM deal that includes a player option is one framework that has been floated in talks between Kuminga and the Warriors. The report doesn’t make it clear which side has “floated” that idea (presumably it’s coming from Kuminga’s camp) or whether the forward would insist on retaining his implicit no-trade clause in that scenario.

Jonathan Kuminga Rumors: AfroBasket, Suns, Kings, Trade Talks

With Jonathan Kuminga‘s negotiations in restricted free agency seemingly set to drag on into August, the Warriors forward will likely have his international commitments affected by the stalemate.

As Marc Stein of The Stein Line details (via Twitter), the ongoing talks between Kuminga’s representatives and Golden State are expected to prevent him from suiting up for the Democratic Republic of Congo in this year’s AfroBasket competition, which tips off on August 12 in Angola. Kuminga had initially been listed on the team’s roster ahead of the tournament.

The primary reported suitors for Kuminga at this juncture are a pair of the Warriors’ Pacific Division rivals, the Suns and the Kings.

While Phoenix has legitimate interest in Kuminga, it’s unclear whether the club has the sort of young talent or draft assets to get a deal done. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix (Twitter link) reports that second-year Suns forward Ryan Dunn has never been discussed in trade talks and insists that he will not be included.

Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, meanwhile, hears that Kuminga is intrigued by the possibility of playing for the Kings.

“He wants to go (to Sacramento),” Spears said during an NBA Today appearance on Wednesday (Twitter video link). “The Kings are offering a starting spot, power forward, next to Keegan Murray, next to [Domantas] Sabonis. He’s talked on a zoom call with Scott Perry, the GM; B.J. Armstrong, the assistant GM; and also with their head coach [Doug Christie]. So he’s in, he wants to go there.”

Spears also shared some details on what a Suns offer for Kuminga might look like. “I heard they’re offering Royce O’Neale and four seconds and Nick Richards,” he said.

For what it’s worth, Phoenix only currently controls three second-round picks.

ESPN’s Shams Charania also appeared on NBA Today on Wednesday (Twitter video link) and suggested that Sacramento has been open to including a protected first-round pick in its sign-and-trade offer for Kuminga. Charania added that both the Kings and Suns have been willing to go up to about $90MM over four years for the 22-year-old. For now, Golden State has rejected sign-and-trade proposals from both teams.

“(The Warriors) want a good player, they also want an unprotected first-round pick, a good first-round pick,” Charania said. “The Sacramento Kings, I’m told, have actually offered a first-round pick in those conversations – it’s been a conditional first-round pick – as well as a potential rotation player. But the Warriors have wanted to the Sacramento Kings to give them an unprotected – fully – first-round pick.”

Phoenix doesn’t presently have the ability to trade a first-round pick.


Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Latest On Jonathan Kuminga

The Kings have been linked to restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga for weeks but there’s little common ground in sign-and-trade talks with the Warriors.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick said on the Warriors Plus Minus podcast (hat tip to BasketNews) that Golden State isn’t interested in either DeMar DeRozan or Devin Carter as part of a trade package.

“My understanding is the Warriors weren’t interested in Carter or DeRozan. As of a couple of weeks ago, the Kings weren’t willing to pay Kuminga into the $20 million range,” Amick said.

Multiple reports have indicated Kuminga and his agent are seeking a contract in the $30MM range annually.

The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson reports that the Kings have not given up in their pursuit of a sign-and-trade deal for Kuminga and offered Golden State a package of Carter, Dario Saric and draft compensation, which could include a protected first-round pick or multiple second-round picks.

Anderson speculates the Warriors would likely make a deal with Sacramento if the Kings were willing to add Keegan Murray or Keon Ellis to the mix. However, Anderson hears that Murray and Ellis have not been discussed in those negotiations and are considered off limits by the Kings.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported last week that the Warriors would like to add a talented young player and a first-rounder for Kuminga. The Suns have been identified as another suitor for Kuminga but don’t possess the draft capital Golden State is seeking.

Slater added in a radio interview relayed by Anderson that the 22-year-old forward came away with a good impression after a recent meeting with Kings representatives, which included general manager Scott Perry, assistant GM B.J. Armstrong and head coach Doug Christie.

“He’s open-minded to the idea of Sacramento. … I think part of that – I know part of that pitch – is you’re talking starting role, you’re talking bigger opportunity than the Warriors are necessarily offering right now. And I think that’s the part that shouldn’t get lost in this situation,” Slater said. “Jonathan Kuminga isn’t just looking for the exact contract he wants in free agency. He’s looking for the opportunity he wants on the court.”

Slater and ESPN’s Shams Charania report that the Warriors are making a stronger push to resolve the Kuminga impasse but he continues to reject their two-year, $45MM contract offer. Kuminga’s decision is due in large part to the Warriors’ insistence on having a team option for the second season and their unwillingness to let him maintain the built-in no-trade clause, the ESPN duo adds.

His agent, Aaron Turner, presented the Warriors several proposals this month, including a three-year deal worth around $82MM that would allow them to stay below the second tax apron.

The Suns have been the most aggressive team pursuing Kuminga, including a proposal of up to four years and approximately $90MM for Kuminga with a player option for the final season, per ESPN’s report.

In recent days, Golden State has begun signaling a plan to cut off sign-and-trade conversations entirely, according to Charania and Slater. The Warriors have the ability to play hard ball with Kuminga, figuring he could either accept their contract offer or sign his qualifying offer of $7.9MM and become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Latest From Stein, Fischer: Paul, Smart, Thomas, Kuminga

Chris Paul returned to Los Angeles and signed with the Clippers on a one-year deal last week. Paul showed strong interest in playing for one of his other former teams before making his decision, according to the latest Substack article from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

The other team that Paul considered rejoining was the Suns. The team’s star, Devin Booker, was intrigued by the potential reunion, given how they meshed during Phoenix’s run to the 2021 NBA Finals. There was also seemingly a spot for Paul at the point, since Tyus Jones chose to sign with Orlando.

The Suns’ front office decided to go in another direction. Phoenix was much more interested in defensive stalwart Marcus Smart, who chose to sign with the Lakers after reaching a buyout with Washington. Phoenix’s brass also had some concerns how the future Hall of Famer’s presence might create some awkward situations for first-year head coach Jordan Ott.

The Suns wound up claiming Jordan Goodwin off waivers and signing Jared Butler to a non-guaranteed contract. Paul also drew interest from the Hornets, Mavericks and Bucks, as previously reported.

Citing a source, Stein said Dallas had D’Angelo Russell higher on its wish list than Paul. The Mavs’ brass believed Russell would be more comfortable in a complementary role once  Kyrie Irving returns from his knee ailment. They also felt Russell was a better fit with Anthony Davis, considering they had played together with the Lakers. Russell signed a two-year deal with the Mavs.

Here’s more nuggets from The Stein Line:

  • The Hawks considered absorbing Smart’s contract into its $25MM traded player exception prior to his buyout. Atlanta opted instead to acquire Kristaps Porziņgis and make a sign-and-trade transaction for Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Bucks explored potential trades for Smart and the Heat‘s Andrew Wiggins with the aid of Pat Connaughton‘s expiring $9.4MM contract. They instead dealt him to Charlotte for two future second-round picks.
  • Fischer reiterates that the Nets’ offers to restricted free agent Cam Thomas have yet to exceed two-year proposals featuring an annual average value in the range of the league’s $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Those offers also include a team option for the second year. Brooklyn appears to be in no rush to ramp up negotiations with Thomas’ representation, given Thomas’ lack of leverage.
  • Regarding another prominent restricted free agent, Jonathan Kuminga has not gotten an offer from the Warriors close to his reported $30MM annual asking price. The Warriors’ best offers to Kuminga have topped out in the two-year, $40MM range, per Stein. As previously reported, the Kings and Suns are regarded as the top suitors but Golden State wants a first-round pick in any sign-and-trade deal. Phoenix is unable to offer a first-rounder.

Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Kings, LeBron, Butler

The Warriors are the only team that hasn’t made a roster move since free agency began, and they’re probably stuck until the Jonathan Kuminga situation is resolved, cap expert Yossi Gozlan explains in his Third Apron column (subscriber link).

Golden State is believed to have deals in place with Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, but those signings can’t be finalized while Kuminga is still on the market. If the Warriors use their taxpayer mid-level exception, they will become hard-capped at the $207.8MM second apron. That creates an opportunity for a team to open up cap space and make an offer to Kuminga at close to $30MM per year, which Golden State wouldn’t be able to match.

Gozlan views a sign-and-trade as the best outcome for both sides, but he adds that if the Warriors wind up re-signing Kuminga, they’ll likely want to keep his salary in the $22-23MM range. That would allow them to use the taxpayer MLE and add three more players on minimum contracts while remaining below the hard cap.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • After a strong Summer League performance, it looks like rookie Nique Clifford will be able to help the Kings right away, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Clifford was a First Team All-Summer League selection, and team officials believe he’s versatile enough to handle either guard spot as well as small forward. Anderson adds that Isaac Jones and Devin Carter also showed that they’re ready for larger roles, while rookie center Maxime Raynaud will enter camp with a chance to become the primary backup center.
  • What’s next for Lakers forward LeBron James as he enters his 23rd NBA season? Marc Stein tackles that topic in his latest Substack article, speculating that the 2025/26 season will be James’ last with the Lakers but not his last as an NBA player, though he makes it clear that’s more of a “gut-feel read” than hard reporting. Stein adds that he thinks James has some “genuine curiosity” about the idea of playing in Dallas, even though he and his family are “extremely settled” in Los Angeles.
  • Jared Butler‘s new one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Suns is a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, but doesn’t include Exhibit 10 language, Hoops Rumors has learned. That suggests Butler likely won’t be playing for Phoenix’s G League team if he doesn’t earn a spot on the regular season roster.

Warriors, Knicks Hiring New Coaches To Staffs

The Warriors and Knicks are adding new coaches to their respective staffs.

According to agent Misko Raznatovic (Twitter link), Golden State is hiring Nikola Milojevic to its staff after he spent the 2024/25 season with Mega Basket in Serbia.

Nikola is the son of former Warriors assistant Dejan Milojevic, who tragically passed away in January 2024 at age 46 following a heart attack. Dejan was a former star player in Europe and the longtime head coach of Mega Basket, where he coached future NBA MVP Nikola Jokic from 2012-15.

As for the Knicks, they’re expected add Charles Allen as an assistant coach, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).

Allen was the head video coordinator for the Jazz prior to joining Mike Brown‘s staff in Sacramento in 2022. He was promoted to be the Kings’ player development coach last fall.

Allen is the second former Kings assistant to be reuniting with Brown, New York’s new head coach, joining Riccardo Fois.