Jonathan Kuminga

Pelicans’ Missi, Rockets’ Okogie Playing In AfroBasket

While it lacks the star power of the upcoming EuroBasket tournament, FIBA’s 2025 AfroBasket event, which tipped off on Tuesday, features a pair of NBA players. Second-year Pelicans center Yves Missi is suiting up for Cameroon, while veteran Rockets wing Josh Okogie is representing Nigeria.

Both players got off to strong starts on Wednesday in their teams’ first AfroBasket games. Missi contributed 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists in 24 minutes to help lead Cameroon to an 86-65 win over Tunisia, while Okogie had five points, five assists, four rebounds, and a +12 on/off mark in 27 minutes of action during Nigeria’s 77-59 victory over Madagascar.

Jonathan Kuminga was listed on the preliminary roster for the Democratic Republic of Congo, but isn’t suiting up for the team as his restricted free agent standoff with the Warriors extends well into the offseason.

Still, there are several other former NBA players taking part in the tournament, as the full list of rosters shows.

Bruno Fernando (Angola), Edy Tavares (Cape Verde), Matt Costello (Côte d’Ivoire), Christian Eyenga (Democratic Republic of Congo), Mamadi Diakite (Guinea), Ibou Badji (Senegal), Karim Mané (Senegal), and Wenyen Gabriel (South Sudan) are among the names that may be familiar to NBA fans, with Tavares (14 points, 19 rebounds) and Costello (12 points, 11 rebounds, six assists) submitting big performances en route to victories in their first group play games.

A handful of notable former NBA players are also on the sidelines as coaches for the event, including Luol Deng for South Sudan, DeSagana Diop for Senegal, and Sam Vincent for Libya, observes Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

AfroBasket’s field is made up of 16 national teams divided into four groups of four teams apiece. Each squad faces the other clubs in its group once during the preliminary round; the top-ranked team in each group after those three games advances directly to the quarterfinals, while the eight second- and third-place teams square off in “play-in” games to earn quarterfinal berths.

Group play will continue through Sunday, with the play-in games for the knockout round held next Monday and Tuesday. The quarterfinals will take place on August 20 and 21, with the semifinals played on Aug. 23 and the final (and third-place game) on Aug. 24.

Free Agent Rumors: Kuminga, Horford, Westbrook, Grimes

There has been no meaningful movement in any direction on the Jonathan Kuminga front in the past couple weeks, per Anthony Slater of ESPN.

Having returned to his offseason base of Miami after a recent trip to his home country – the Democratic Republic of the Congo – the restricted free agent forward remains underwhelmed by the Warriors‘ two-year, $45MM offer that includes a second-year team option (and a request that he waive his implicit no-trade clause).

With no guaranteed money beyond year one, a trade-friendly salary, and no ability for Kuminga to have any say in a mid-season trade destination, the structure of the proposal is too team-friendly for Kuminga’s liking, Slater explains. Sources tell ESPN that the 22-year-old’s priority has been to find a contract that positions him to be a long-term building block for either the Warriors or another club. A short-term deal that essentially sets him up to be traded runs counter to that goal.

Kuminga’s camp pitched a three-year, $82MM contract that the Warriors turned down, according to Slater, who adds that the forward has told people close to him that the idea of signing his one-year, $8MM qualifying offer and reaching unrestricted free agency in 2026 appeals more to him than accepting Golden State’s one-plus-one proposal.

Here are a few more rumors on some of the top unsigned free agents:

  • Even though Al Horford has had to wait for resolution on the Kuminga situation and has mulled the idea of retirement, the Warriors seem to be operating as if the 39-year-old big man is a firm part of their plans for 2025/26, Slater writes. The idea would be to slot Horford in as their starting center to help reduce Draymond Green‘s regular season workload, according to Slater, though he notes that Horford’s minutes would have to be carefully managed as well.
  • League sources consider the Kings to be the most likely landing spot for free agent point guard Russell Westbrook, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports within the same story. Multiple reports earlier this summer indicated that there may not be room in Sacramento’s backcourt for Westbrook unless the team were to trade Malik Monk or Devin Carter, but the former MVP is still being linked to the Kings even with those two guards still on the roster.
  • The Sixers continue to project confidence that they’ll re-sign restricted free agent guard Quentin Grimes, says Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). While it’s not out of the question that Grimes could accept his $8.7MM qualifying offer, Fischer believes the two sides will work out a more mutually beneficial deal that begins at a higher salary.

Warriors Unlikely To Include Hield, Moody In Kuminga Deal

The Warriors are actively encouraging sign-and-trade offers for Jonathan Kuminga, writes Jake Fischer for the Stein Line (subscriber link). However, Fischer adds that they are unwilling to do a deal that would require them to include either Buddy Hield or Moses Moody for salary-matching purposes.

Because of the CBA’s base year compensation rules regarding sign and trades, any deal that would return more than a mid-level type salary would likely require the addition of a second player from Golden State, but Fischer says the Warriors view Moody and Hield as valuable contributors next season.

Hield and Moody emerged as two of the team’s more consistent shooters last season. Moody averaged 9.8 points and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 37.4% on three-pointers. Hield averaged 11.1 PPG and made 37% of his three-pointers while being the only Warrior to play in all 82 games.

Hield is a career 39.7% three-point shooter and his mark last year was actually the second-lowest of his career. Of the returning players on the Warriors’ roster, only Stephen Curry, Quinten Post, and Brandin Podziemski had higher three-point percentages than Moody and/or Hield.

According to Fischer, the Warriors’ unwillingness to include either player is one of the bigger roadblocks facing the team in trade talks.

Warriors Have Interest In Sign-And-Trade For Josh Giddey

In a recent live stream for Bleacher Report (video link), Jake Fischer discussed the current stalemate surrounding both the Bulls with Josh Giddey and the Warriors with Jonathan Kuminga, neither of which he expects to come to an end anytime soon. During that stream, Fischer reported that there is interest, at least from the Warriors’ end, in a double sign-and-trade that could solve both problems simultaneously.

I can report that there have been multiple teams that have reached out to Josh Giddey’s representation about having interest in [him],” Fischer said. “Golden State is one of them. Golden State would be interested, depending on how the machinations would go, in some kind of Josh Giddey-Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade, to my understanding.”

Of course, a sign-and-trade needs both sides to be interested, and Fischer notes that doesn’t appear to be the case at the moment. “The Bulls have been telling teams… that they don’t want to talk sign-and-trade,” he said.

According to Fischer, Chicago does have a longstanding interest in Kuminga, though it’s unclear to what extent. While the Bulls haven’t made an “aggressive pursuit” of Kuminga to this point, they remain on the periphery of the situation.

They made outreach to Golden State early in the offseason about Kuminga, they’ve talked about Kuminga in various trade conversations with the Warriors in the past when Golden State was checking in on Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso and other things,” Fischer says.

A double sign-and-trade is a difficult maneuver to pull off, as the rules regarding base year compensation mean that the salaries going out would only count for 50% of their annual average value to the team trading them, but would count fully for the team receiving the player. Since that would apply to both the Bulls and Warriors in such a deal, any double sign-and-trade would almost certainly necessitate at least one more team getting involved.

The Warriors were prepared to draft Giddey in 2021 if Kuminga were selected ahead of their No. 7 pick, per Fischer, and they’ve since maintained their interest in the 6’8″ guard. Fischer also notes that the Warriors have attempted to negotiate with this Bulls regime before, citing the 2023 deadline, when the Warriors reportedly made multiple first-round picks available in a potential deal for Caruso.

He adds that rival teams feel that the Bulls are not generally forthcoming in trade negotiations, at times to the point of inscrutability.

Other teams don’t want to talk that business with Chicago, and they know Chicago doesn’t really want to make sign-and-trade scenarios come to fruition for Josh Giddey after turning Caruso into Giddey directly with no other draft capital coming back,” Fischer said.

Even if the Warriors and Bulls don’t make any sort of deal this offseason, that may not close the door on the idea of Kuminga eventually ending up in Chicago, Fischer adds: “There still is some hope from Kuminga’s side that the Bulls could factor into his situation right now, and there is also some hope to my understanding from Kuminga’s side that if he were to take the qualifying offer and reach unrestricted free agency next year, the Bulls… are going to be major players with cap space.”

Fischer’s Latest: RFAs, Warriors, White, Young, Celtics

During Thursday’s Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), NBA insider Jake Fischer reiterated multiple times that he expects the four primary restricted free agents — Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Quentin Grimes (Sixers) and Cam Thomas (Nets) — to continue to be in contract standoffs with their respective teams for some time.

Again, we are still in a holding pattern with all these restricted free agents, and we are — at this juncture — expecting all those situations to linger deeper into August and get into September as well,” Fischer said. “Don’t expect a resolution for Jonathan Kuminga, for Josh Giddey, for Quentin Grimes, for Cam Thomas, anytime soon.”

According to Fischer, the Warriors haven’t shown any interest in what the Kings and Suns have offered in sign-and-trade scenarios for Kuminga. But they also don’t want to lose the former lottery pick for nothing in return.

Jonathan Kuminga’s side, I believe, right now, would be willing to take a two-plus-one with a player option three-year deal,” Fischer said. “I think that Jonathan Kuminga’s side would take this one-plus-one situation with Golden State — this two-year, $45MM offer that’s been on the table — if he were to get a player option in year two.

But I was told yesterday from various sources that Golden State is going to be holding firm … that second year is going to be a team option. And that’s kinda where this staring contest is at.

Here’s more from Fischer:

  • The Warriors currently have only nine players signed to standard contracts, with the Kuminga stalemate continuing to hold up their other offseason business. Fischer suggested that Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II are likely to be signed after Kuminga’s situation is resolved. Malcolm Brogdon and Seth Curry remain on Golden State’s radar as well, according to Fischer, with Javonte Green another player mentioned.
  • The Bulls are monitoring Coby White‘s upcoming free agency, Fischer said. White will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026, and Fischer noted that there has been talk of White wanting a contract that exceeds $30MM annually. That expectation may be factoring into the calculation of Chicago playing a level of hardball with Giddey’s restricted free agency.
  • Thomas looks the most likely of the four RFAs to accept his qualifying offer, Fischer confirmed. The high-scoring guard views himself as a $30MM+ per year player, but the Nets haven’t approached that figure and have only offered him short-term deals to this point, Fischer said.
  • While Fischer confirmed the latest reports on Trae Young‘s disappointment at the lack of an extension offer from the Hawks, he said that it was also somewhat expected by Young’s camp. Fischer called this season an opportunity for Young to maximize a roster built to complement his game, as well as an opportunity for the new front office to evaluate the players on the roster. If Young is able to maximize the team’s potential and earn All-NBA honors, he’d be eligible for a much more lucrative extension, and he also has a 2026/27 player option he could decline to enter free agency next year as possibly the top free agent on the board.
  • Prior to dealing him to the Jazz, the Celtics had talks with the Grizzlies during Summer League about a deal that would send Georges Niang to Memphis, according to Fischer, who said a rumored framework of Anfernee Simons for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was never discussed. Fischer noted that before RJ Luis signed a two-way deal with the Jazz, he was considering signing with the Celtics. The Jazz are expected to keep Niang as a veteran leader. Fischer also said that he’s not as confident that Simons gets traded before the season starts as he was that Niang would be dealt.
  • Fischer confirmed that Bennedict Mathurin is on track to receive a bigger role this season with the Pacers due to Tyrese Haliburton‘s injury, and that Mathurin is also hoping to secure a deal that would pay him $20-30MM per year. Fischer added that many of the unsigned rookie scale extension candidates likely won’t finalize new deals until the October deadline.

Eli Cohen contributed to this post.

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.