Jonathan Kuminga has been the mystery of the NBA offseason. After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Golden State Warriors, a tenure marked by road bumps and struggles to remain in Steve Kerr's rotation, it seemed likely that Kuminga would be involved in a sign-and-trade this summer.
However, over three weeks into the free agency period, there has been zero movement regarding Kuminga, and he remains the best player on the market as a restricted free agent. Kuminga, his representation, and the Warriors met in Las Vegas during NBA Summer League to discuss potential paths. Yet, no resolution is imminent, and the two sides remain far apart in discussions.
While Kuminga wants to be paid in the $30 million per year range for his potential and growth, Golden State is seeking a smaller deal in the $20 million per year range, league sources told ClutchPoints. What complicates these negotiations is that Kuminga and his camp reportedly turned down a $30 million annual average value extension from the Dubs before the start of the 2024-25 NBA season.
Despite reports from before last season suggesting that an offer from the Warriors in the $30 million per year range was turned down, Kuminga's agent set the record straight on Wednesday night.
“NO one on our side was turning down 30M a year. Our camp is smarter than that,” Aaron Turner of Verus Management Team said on social media while responding to a fan's take on the Kuminga contract situation. “Narrative makes no sense, twisted up Slater’s words I think! #Fakenews.”
The reference to “Slater” is regarding Warriors' reporter Anthony Slater, who originally wrote about Golden State's offer being somewhere in the ballpark of “$30ish million per year range” in October before the 2024-25 season.
Regardless of what is true and untrue about previous negotiations, the fact of the matter is that the two sides were never close to reaching a rookie-scale extension. Although Kuminga's talent and potential are valued by many members of the organization, the Warriors don't feel as if they need to pay him top-tier money for a multitude of reasons.
Not only has Kuminga's market stalled with no realistic outright suitors in free agency, but he has been in and out of the Dubs' rotation. It wasn't until Stephen Curry injured his hamstring in the NBA Playoffs that Kuminga stepped up and showcased his offensive value with Golden State.
At this time, there is no clear resolution in sight. Kuminga and his camp have held firm on their asking price, which the Warriors won't meet. While sign-and-trade scenarios continue to be a hot topic of discussion, this standstill between the two parties is expected to drag on into August.