One offshoot of the hamstring injury suffered by Warriors star Stephen Curry in Game 1 of the team's sereis vs. Minnesota has been the return to the rotation of much-maligned wing Jonathan Kuminga. After being all but cast out of the Warriors' rotation, Kuminga has had a resurgence, scoring 23 points in Game 4 after posting 30 in Game 3.
And while that has not been good enough to push the Warriors to a win in either of those games, it just may be good enough to breathe a bit more life into Kuminga's value around the NBA, which had tanked after he was benched late this season.
Kuminga is set to be a restricted free agent this summer. He turned down Warriors offers for an extension last offseason, seeking a deal worth around $35 million per year. After averaging a ho-hum 15.3 points this season, Kuminga's value is nowhere near $30-40 million per year.
Apr 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) before game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) before game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Chase Center.
Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
But the recent resurgence here in the playoffs has, at least, reminded folks around the NBA of his talent as a scorer, and that can only help going forward.
"It could wind up being that this (Curry's) is a very expensive injury for the Warriors, as long as Kuminga keeps putting up good numbers, because he was really in a tough spot going into the summer," one Western Conference exeuctive said. "There's only one team that can pay him, and anyone else would have to stretch to make a sign-and-trade work. Not a lot of teams were willing to do that."
Warriors Could Face Jonathan Kuminga Bid From Nets
The one team that could stretch for Kuminga is Brooklyn, which will have significant cap space available. It's not the Nets' preference, though.
"Look, he is not No. 1 on the Nets' list," the exec said. "They want Giannis (Antetokounmpo) in a trade. They wanted (Cooper) Flagg, of couse. But Kuminga for them is going to be Plan C, Plan D. They're not going to pay him $30 million, but after the way he has bounced back, you could see him getting a deal with options around $20 million."
It is unclear how far the Warriors would go to re-sign Kuminga, though it is clear they do not want to lose him. But they gave Jimmy Butler a new contract, and the primary reason Kuminga fell out of the rotation was that he does not fit with Butler.
This postseason may be showing that the two can, in fact, work together. Maybe that pushes the Warriors to open up the coffers for Kuminga.
'In the end, you're probably going to get bidding from Brooklyn on him, but the Warriors can match," the exec said. "That's probably how it plays out--Brooklyn makes an offer, the Warriors match, everyone moves on."