It is no secret that the Sacramento Kings have been looking for ways to shake up their roster under new general manager Scott Perry, but the front office has tried and failed. The most significant addition of the offseason so far has been a sign-and-trade to acquire Dennis Schroder, and while he will be the team's starting point guard next season, it is far from an exciting move.
The Kings have most recently been linked to Jonathan Kuminga and Russell Westbrook, but the two free agents are in very different situations. Westbrook is an unrestricted free agent, simply taking his time to decide on his next team, while Kuminga is being handcuffed by the Warriors in restricted free agency, as both sides try to find a solution.
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00)
Apr 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) handles the ball against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter of game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Kuminga, 22, is in an awkward situation with the Warriors, as neither side necessarily wants him to re-sign, but Golden State is scared of losing him for nothing. Kuminga does not like the Warriors' offer of a two-year, $45 million deal with a second-year team option, and would reportedly prefer to take the $7.9 million qualifying offer for the 2025-26 season, allowing him to hit free agency next summer.
"His representation presented a three-year, $82 million deal, which the Warriors resisted. As of this past weekend, there had been no movement toward a compromise," ESPN's Anthony Slater reported. "...The Warriors have not upped their offer, and Kuminga has indicated to those close to him that the $7.9 million qualifying offer is more appealing to him than the Warriors' current pitch. Something has to give before the Oct. 1 deadline."
While there have been talks about the Warriors shutting down sign-and-trade conversations altogether, the Kings are reportedly not ruling out a move for Kuminga. Kings insider Allen Stiles of Sactown Sports believes that the franchise is still optimistic about trading Malik Monk to the Warriors for Kuminga.
"It is safe to say that the Sacramento Kings do believe, or at least they hope that's going to be the case," Stiles said. "That Jonathan Kuminga will continue to say, 'I'm going to sign that qualifying offer.' And at the buzzer, the Golden State Warriors will say, 'Alright, well, we can't afford to lose him for nothing, and Malik Monk and a protected pick, that's much better than nothing. So let's go ahead, do the deal, and be done with it.' "
Westbrook rumors haven’t stopped. If Kuminga keeps threatening QO, Warriors may not risk losing him for nothing, leading the Kings to believe a Malik Monk deal could still happen.
Russ hasn’t been connected to other teams and the Kings are unlikely to add him to current roster. pic.twitter.com/kP1aKdR44A
— Allen Stiles (@The_StilesFiles) August 13, 2025
The assumption recently has been that Kuminga will be in Golden State to start the 2025-26 season, but it is clear that the Warriors do not want him to sign the qualifying offer, which could even include a no-trade clause.
The Kings have reportedly offered Malik Monk and a protected first-round pick to the Warriors for Kuminga, which the Warriors did not like for a couple of reasons. For financial purposes, the Warriors would also have to give up either Moses Moody or Buddy Hield to bring in Monk, and the franchise would reportedly demand an unprotected pick in any offer. This makes a deal very unlikely, but the Warriors, like Stiles said, get desperate.