The contract negotiations between the Golden State Warriors and free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga have reached a standstill.
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As a restricted free agent, Kuminga has limited options that boil down to either accepting a two-year, $45 million deal from the Warriors or accepting the team's qualifying offer.
Neither party has budged, and it appears the contract saga will endure with NBA training camp and the Oct. 1 deadline to accept the qualifying offer quickly approaching.
Why has Kuminga been reluctant to make a decision? NBC Sports Bay Area's Dalton Johnson revealed the forward's honest thoughts on the contract situation with Golden State.
"Through four years, Kuminga and the Warriors have yet to find common ground on who he presently is as a player, who he can be with more opportunities and who he will be in the future," Johnson writes. "The way this offseason has played out only has furthered Kuminga's desire to control his own destiny and how his future plays out. Kuminga wants to make sure that no matter who his next employer is, he's comfortable and confident he is being set up for success from the start.
"Kuminga doesn't want to be used as a 'pawn' for a team where he has seen himself as the scapegoat, and he still doesn't fully know what his role will be going into his fifth NBA season with the likelihood that he still isn't a starter and might not close games."
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Last season, Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from beyond the arc in 47 games.
The 22-year-old is the Warriors' best trade asset, which is why the team would prefer Kuminga accept the $45 million deal that includes a team option for the second year.
If a trade for Kuminga brought the Warriors draft compensation and a young talent to replace the forward, then the team would reportedly be willing to part ways with him.
Kuminga accepting the one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer would be a pay cut for the forward, but it would give him the freedom to test the free agent market following the 2025-26 season. Additionally, it would make it difficult for the Warriors to flip him at the February trade deadline.
Either way, Kuminga's options are limited but it appears the forward is betting on himself as he enter his fifth season in the association.
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