Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors remain stuck in limbo with Jonathan Kuminga. Training camp is fast approaching, and the restricted free agent still doesn’t have a deal.
Golden State’s best-known offer — two years, $45 million with a team option in Year 2 — has so far gone nowhere. Kuminga has instead been leaning toward the $7.9 million qualifying offer, which would pave the way for unrestricted free agency in 2026 while creating an uneasy dynamic this season.
The Warriors spent much of the summer exploring sign-and-trade options, but no deal ever materialized. Now both sides remain at a standstill, and the tension is only growing.
Awkward Situation Brewing in Golden State
What’s become clear is that neither side is budging. Kuminga’s camp is still pushing for a much richer, long-term commitment, while the Warriors remain unwilling to move off their structure-heavy offer. With the Oct. 1 qualifying offer deadline looming, the expectation is he’ll eventually take that route — a decision that would give him freedom in 2026 and leave Golden State exposed to losing him for nothing.
Former NBA champion and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins didn’t hold back in assessing the situation.
“It’s going to affect the locker room that’s trying to win or have intentions on winning the championship,” Perkins said on NBA Today. “I don’t know if Jonathan Kuminga is watching NBA Today, but they don’t want you, dog. They don’t value you, because if they did, you wouldn’t be going through this.
It started last season. Steve Kerr showed you how he felt about you when you were out of the rotation during the Play-In Tournament, in the first round against the Rockets. I understand Mike Dunleavy is now running things in the front office, him and Joe Lacob, but Jonathan Kuminga wasn’t a Mike Dunleavy pick; that was a Bob Myers pick.”
What Comes Next for Kuminga and the Warriors?
Golden State Warriors
GettyThe Golden State Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga is considering accepting the team’s qualifying offer.
Kuminga has shown flashes of real talent, but the Warriors appear done giving him chances after four up-and-down years.
Perkins argued that bringing him back on the qualifying offer could spell trouble.
“When you look at this situation, it’s going to cause turmoil in the locker room if you bring him back on the $7.9 million [qualifying offer] because he’s going to go out there and play individual basketball,” Perkins said.
Golden State’s inability to find a workable sign-and-trade has left them stuck. If Kuminga ends up on the qualifying offer, it won’t solve much — it only delays the problem while setting up the risk of losing him for nothing in 2026.
Either way, the standoff is adding pressure by the day. And the uncertainty is hanging over the Warriors as camp approaches.