Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency has become a major roadblock for the Golden State Warriors. The front office has spent all summer trying to negotiate a new deal with the explosive forward. However, no agreement has been reached.
According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania, the Warriors extended a new-and-improved contract offer to Kuminga in the week commencing September 8. However, Kuminga appears uninterested in the offer due to the continued presence of a team option on the final year.
“The Warriors have strengthened their effort. Late last week, Dunleavy offered Kuminga a three-year, $75.2 million deal with a team option in the third season, sources told ESPN,” Slater and Charania reported. “…Dunleavy and the Warriors are requesting the same structure as their previous proposal on the two-year, $45 million framework — a team option on the second season and a waiving of the inherent no-trade clause, sources said.”
Kuminga is reportedly seeking a deal that would give him more control over his future. Therefore, potentially including a player option on a contract offer could be a strong kickstart to getting negotiations moving in the right direction. It would appear, however, that Golden State is reluctant to meet that expectation.
“The Warriors have also viewed a player option as a nonstarter, sources said,” Slater and Charania reported.
Former Champ Shares Blunt Truth With Kuminga
In a September 12 episode of ESPN’s NBA Today, former NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins shared a blunt truth with Kuminga.
“I don’t know if Jonathan Kuminga is watching NBA Today, but they don’t want you, dog,” Perkins said. “They don’t value you, because if they did, you wouldn’t be going through this…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.”
Kuminga has struggled to cement himself in Steve Kerr’s rotation since being drafted by the franchise. Therefore, it’s understandable why Kuminga is interested in exploring new opportunities around the NBA. After all, if he continues to be buried on the Warriors’ bench, he will never reach his potential.
Warriors’ Kuminga Could Opt Into Qualifying Offer
According to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, the most logical outcome at this point of the summer is that Kuminga will sign his qualifying offer.
“He entered September facing two options,” Poole wrote of Kuminga. “One, accept Golden State’s qualifying offer of $7.99 million. Two, sign a two-year contract at $45 million, with a team option in Year 2. He has shown no interest in that. Kuminga has shown more interest in the qualifying offer – which gives him trade veto power and puts him on the market next summer – than the two-year deal preferred by Golden State that pays more but diminishes his leverage.”
Kuminga played in 47 games last season, averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He shot 45.4% from the field and 30.5% from deep. He will likely spend the upcoming season bouncing between the starting lineup and the second unit, as Kerr continues to try and find Kuminga’s best role within the team’s system.
With training camp just two weeks out, the Warriors’ front office is in a hurry to finalize the roster. While Jonathan Kuminga might still be hoping for a sign-and-trade, the team needs to act fast, no matter what path they take with him.