The Golden State Warriors and restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga have agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract that contains a team option for the 2026-27 NBA season, league sources told ClutchPoints on Wednesday.
As part of this contract, Kuminga will waive his inherent no-trade clause with the understanding that he is a prime trade candidate once he becomes eligible to be dealt on January 15.
Throughout the summer, Kuminga and the Warriors had been at an impasse over the structure of what a new contract would look like. Whereas the Dubs wanted a deal with a team option, the 22-year-old and his camp made it clear that the final year of his deal would need to be a player option, or else they would accept the qualifying offer.
Ultimately, the Warriors have chosen to end this feud and have Kuminga return for the 2025-26 season, a year in which the organization expects to contend for a championship.
Kuminga and his agent, Aaron Turner of Verus Management Team, had been in a staredown with the Warriors since before the 2024-25 season when the young forward first became extension-eligible.
After being very far apart in extension negotiations, Kuminga entered last season in the final year of his rookie deal, hoping to prove his long-term worth and potential in search of a lucrative contract offer from the team that drafted him seventh overall in 2021.
Early on, Kuminga established himself as the team's second-best scoring weapon alongside Stephen Curry, but an ankle sprain that sidelined him for 31 games forced Golden State's hand.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Warriors' front office were aggressive with their approach to find an established superstar to pair with Curry, and so the organization traded for six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.
This trade immediately put Kuminga's future with the organization in question, not only because Butler moved Kuminga back to the bench unit but also because he and head coach Steve Kerr had not always seen eye-to-eye on his overall role with the team.
Kuminga finished the regular season not playing in several games, and this continued entering the playoffs, where the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets in seven games in their first-round series. It wasn't until Curry suffered a hamstring injury against the Minnesota Timberwolves that Kuminga got his chance to shine.
Without Curry on the floor, Kuminga was the Dubs' featured scorer in the Western Conference Semifinals, averaging 24.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the floor in the final four games of the series.
Although he was clearly the team's top scoring option without Steph on the court and Butler banged up, it became clear entering the offseason that Kuminga desired a change of scenery, sources said.
Entering restricted free agency, the Warriors were prepared to pursue multiple sign-and-trade avenues that would present themselves with Kuminga wanting a fresh start. However, owner Joe Lacob and the organization made it clear they were not prepared to lose Kuminga for nothing.
The minimal sign-and-trade opportunities that came Golden State's way, primarily from the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, were deemed not good enough for the Warriors. As his holdout continued, Kuminga continued to signal that he did not wish for a return and wanted to continue his career elsewhere.
Sacramento was aggressive in its pursuit of Kuminga, offering Malik Monk and a protected first-round pick in 2030, sources said. Phoenix had explored multiple scenarios with Golden State, including one that revolved around veteran forward Royce O'Neale and second-round draft picks.
The Warriors held close to no interest in the Kings' offer. In addition to concerns about adding another guard, the Dubs did not want to take on the $60.5 million he is owed through the 2027-28 season.
That is when the threat and idea of accepting his qualifying offer, sacrificing a monetary commitment to get his freedom as a free agent, became a clear option for Kuminga and his agent. With the Warriors not wanting this to be the conclusion to their long offseason discussions, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. negotiated a new two-year structure to make all parties satisfied.
This offseason, Kuminga and his representation signaled that they believed his value on a new contract should pay around $30 million per season, sources said. That was a number the Warriors never came close to reaching and never had any intention of offering.
Instead, the organization felt that the young forward should accept an offer in the $20 million to $22 million-per-year range on a short-term deal, as this offered fair compensation for his contributions and potential. Kuminga was not pleased with this initial offer and felt disrespected, resulting in his desire for change.
With the lack of cap space teams around the league were operating with and with the free-agent market drying up quickly in July, Kuminga's only option became a return to the Dubs, especially after the team ended all sign-and-trade negotiations with teams after NBA Summer League.
This situation dragged on throughout the summer, creating a dark cloud that engulfed the organization.
Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II only just officially agreed to their free agent deals with the Warriors because of the team's financial standing while waiting for Kuminga. Payton officially signed a minimum contract, but Horford and Melton cannot sign their contracts and officially finalize them until Kuminga signs.
Despite this situation dragging into September, Kuminga is officially back with the Warriors and will begin the 2025-26 season on their roster with a new two-year contract.
Jonathan Kuminga's future with Warriors
For years, the Warriors have turned down opportunities to trade Kuminga for high-level, proven talents.
OG Anunoby, Lauri Markkanen, and Paul George were among the All-Star-like talents Golden State held extensive trade talks about over the last few seasons, yet pursuing each player would've cost the organization Kuminga.
At the time, including last offseason, the Warriors were not willing to include the young forward in trade dialogue whatsoever, as Lacob and many within the organization believed he was the future of the franchise. Now, Golden State probably wishes it could go back in time and make one of these trades after seeing its relationship with Kuminga crumble this offseason.
Kuminga wanted to leave the Warriors this offseason, sources said. He did not hold a desire to return, and his side held a high belief that a sign-and-trade agreement would be reached this summer.
Ultimately, no trade of value materialized for Golden State, leading Kuminga to just two paths: accepting his qualifying offer or one of the multiple contract proposals that included different options in the final year.
The Warriors held firm on their offer to Kuminga, sources said, and believed it made the most sense for all parties for him to accept a contract with a team option. With Kuminga signaling that he wouldn't accept such a proposal, Golden State altered their proposal to finally get a deal done.
Now, the Warriors can bring Kuminga back as a young, athletic focal point on their roster and still have the ability to explore trade avenues with his cap figure.
While Kuminga had contract offers he would have accepted as an unrestricted free agent from the Kings and Suns, the only path to obtaining said deals was via a sign-and-trade. With the Warriors shutting the door on these opportunities, Kuminga became frustrated and unwilling to negotiate further, sources said.
The threat of accepting his qualifying offer became a real scenario with his holdout dragging on late into the summer. This would not have been ideal for the Warriors, as they would lose all leverage to negotiate a trade for Kuminga during the 2025-26 season, and his return on such a deal would create a very toxic environment in the locker room.
Golden State decided it was in its best interest to alter the original two-year contract proposal to Kuminga, adding more money to compensate for the team option Kuminga and his camp did not want.
Now, he and the Warriors have a $48.5 million contract with the team option that allows him to become a free agent next summer, something that has already been signaled throughout negotiations.
This does not mean Kuminga's time with the Warriors will end after this season, as the two sides remain optimistic about his role and outlook for the 2025-26 season. It is possible the two sides come to a long-term understanding next summer after months of a stalemate this year.
Originally, the Warriors had hoped to sign Kuminga to a two-year, $45 million contract that contained a team option and would have seen the forward waive the no-trade clause he would receive as a result of the CBA and his restricted free agency. At no point was Kuminga prepared to sign this offer, sources said.
Kuminga now returns to the Dubs on a revamped two-year contract with the understanding that he could be traded before the trade deadline in February and before becoming a free agent next offseason. That is ultimately why Kuminga opted to accept more money on a new contract rather than take his qualifying offer.
What Kuminga's role looks like entering the 2025-26 season is a massive mystery. More importantly, how he is perceived by his teammates and the veteran leaders of the team will play a direct role in the team's morale during the first half of the new year.
However, Warriors star Stephen Curry made it clear at Media Day on Monday that he and the organization expect Kuminga to be ready to give it his all upon returning, no matter what happened in contract negotiations.
“You have a guy who is trying to figure out his situation. Respect that process and it's going to play out,” Curry said. “When he’s here, ready to work, we expect him to be locked in on doing what he needs to do to help us win.
“What we do as players and going out there and hooping — that's what it always boils down to, no matter how you get there.”
Behind the scenes, Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler have been advocates for the organization bringing back Kuminga, sources said. Each of the three stars held discussions with the organization in August about the contract stalemate to get a clear answer on what was happening with their pending free agent signings.
Green has been a strong voice in Kuminga's corner behind the scenes.
After a long, drama-filled holdout between Kuminga and the Warriors, one of the biggest offseason mysteries on the free-agent market has finally been solved. Kuminga is back with the Dubs for the 2025-26 NBA season after accepting a new two-year, $48.5 million contract.
