The Golden State Warriors and forward Jonathan Kuminga haven't been able to come to terms on a new contract.
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Kuminga, a restricted free agent, has limited options at this point in his career. While he will likely return to Golden State, Kuminga has remained on the market for two months as he deliberates his next steps.
Essentially, the 22-year-old has two options - though both greatly favor the Warriors. Kuminga can either accept a $7.9 million qualifying offer for the 2025-26 season or sign a two-year, $45 million contract with Golden State (which includes a team option for the second year).
Regardless, Kuminga will be getting the short end of the stick.
The stalled contract negotiations between both parties have seemingly affected the Warriors' plans this summer as the team has done nothing since free agency began.
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The Athletic's Sam Amick provided a timeline on when Kuminga and Golden State could finally reach an agreement.
"Kuminga needs the Warriors to believe that he's truly willing to take the hard road here, picking up that $7.9 million qualifying offer for next season as a way to earn his free-agency freedom next summer rather than accepting the two-year, $45 million offer that he's been ignoring for months now ($21.75 million first season; second-season team option)," Amick writes. "And it wouldn't surprise me at this point if he did.
"But as one involved party put it to me earlier this month, the pressure that might prompt either side to change its stance doesn't actually start rising until mid-September. With the qualifying offer deadline set for Oct. 1, and with training camp starting right before then, that's when everyone will finally start to get truly antsy here."
If Kuminga accepts the Warriors' qualifying offer, he will become an unrestricted free agent following the 2025-26 season but will be taking a considerable pay cut.
If Kuminga signs the two-year deal with Golden State, he may not be able to test the open market next year if the Warriors - or a team he's traded to - decide to bring him back for the 2026-27 season.
It's a complex situation for the forward, who is entering his fifth year in the NBA - but it appears a resolution should unfold by late September or early October.
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.
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