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Moses Moody signed by far the smallest rookie-scale contract extension of any lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, re-upping with the Golden State Warriors for $39 million over three years—yielding an average annual salary going forward lower than the midlevel exception.
As much as the Dubs value what he brings to the organization both on and off the floor, it's obvious neither team nor player is under the hopeful impression Moody will develop into a star.
The same certainly can't be said for Jonathan Kuminga, especially from his perspective alone. The 22-year-old has been earmarked as one of the game's next great forwards since his junior year in high school.
Nothing he did with Golden State last season while finally getting a longer leash from Steve Kerr dispelled that self-confidence with Kuminga suddenly entering extension negotiations last summer hoping to be paid like a budding franchise player.
Contract talks went nowhere over the offseason, and the eye-opening skill development Kuminga flashed throughout the Warriors' exhibition slate—playing his preferred position of small forward almost exclusively—only fortified his desire for a new deal at or approaching the rookie max as the deadline for extensions loomed.
It came and went on Monday, leaving Kuminga and divisive Chicago Bulls point forward Josh Giddey as the only top-eight picks from their draft class who didn't put pen to paper on a new contract before 2024-25 tipped off.
Kuminga addressed his lack of an extension on Wednesday following Golden State's 139-104 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the season opener, insisting he won't let that disappointment affect him across the 82-game grind.
“I’m not really concerned about it,” he told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “I’m just concerned about coming out here and performing every other day. I ain’t really thinking about that.
“The time came, and nothing happened. So I’m not very concerned about it much anymore. I can just be me and not think about it. I’ve been through so much. A lot of people don’t know me, don’t know what I’ve been through. There’s not too many things that can break me.”
Jonathan Kuminga's rough debut as Warriors starting small forward
The Dubs at least conveyed newfound faith in Kuminga scraping his theoretical ceiling by starting him at small forward in Rip City, a major change that was telegraphed throughout his very encouraging preseason.
Meaningless stakes and substandard competition of exhibition play gave way to realities of real NBA hoops on Wednesday, though, making it clear Kuminga needs much more time and reps functioning as a wing.
He finished with 10 points, four rebounds, one assist, and four turnovers, shooting 3-of-9 from the field and clanking both of his three-point attempts. The saving grace in an otherwise rough offensive night from Kuminga came at the free-throw line, where he went 4-of-6 and tied Curry for the team lead in attempts despite playing less than 20 minutes.
There were too many times on Wednesday that Kuminga forced the issue while seeking out his own offense. He can get away with that one-track mind more often playing the four, where his wild blend of burst and power routinely proves too much for most defenders.
But operating from the perimeter is a different animal for Kuminga, especially with spacing extra hard to come by given Golden State's lack of shooting stretch from the frontcourt.
Both of these plays came early in the shot clock, amid an ugly second-quarter stretch when Kuminga tried to take matters into his own hands as a scorer.
Advantage creation for himself, let alone teammates, still isn't Kuminga's strength despite his progress as a shot-maker and ball-handler. Exploiting advantages is when Kuminga remains at his best for now.
He found success in the second half cutting along the baseline for finishes and shooting fouls as Green caught on the short roll after Portland sent two to Curry in ball screens.
Keeping the game simple is still an option for Kuminga as he adjusts to playing the wing. Not every opponent will trap Curry in pick-and-roll, affording Green the 4-on-3 numbers game that helped the Dubs build a dynasty.
But there will be ample opportunities every night for Kuminga to create scoring chances in the open floor, where finding the balance of controlled, intentional aggression can make him a terror. Look how easily Kuminga got these two shots at the rim against the Blazers while the court changed sides.
The personnel surrounding him this season may prevent Kuminga from proving his future as the next Kawhi Leonard, a bigger Jaylen Brown or more athletic Khris Middleton.
Everything offensively but transition could become more difficult to him while playing a vast majority of his minutes at small forward alongside bigs like Green, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kevon Looney, and Kyle Anderson.
His feel with the ball in the halfcourt leaves much to be desired, and Kuminga isn't quite ready to compensate with a deep bag of tough perimeter jumpers and touch finishes around the rim.
Maybe those more specific skills develop as the season continues, setting him up for the max-money contract in restricted free agency he wants. But Kuminga could still earn a massive payday next summer while focusing first on facets of the game that have always made him special.
