Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob is reportedly an avid supporter of Jonathan Kuminga, which led to the team declining a reported offer from the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso. While Kuminga has yet to accept a qualifying offer for 2025-26, the Warriors' negotiating a long-term deal has turned into a stalemate two weeks before an October 1 deadline for Jonathan to opt-in.
The Warriors could have included Kuminga in a deal for Caruso, who was eventually traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey last summer, but chose not to, according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater and ESPN's Sham Charania.
“Lacob has remained a staunch Kuminga supporter and vocal believer in his long-term future,” Slater and Charania reported. “He voiced an unwillingness to include Kuminga in a proposed trade from Chicago for Alex Caruso a couple of seasons back, sources said, and was still glowing about Kuminga's performance in May after he rose from out of Steve Kerr's first-round rotation to the team's leading scorer in the second-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.”
Still, Kuminga remains one of the Warriors' assets who could be included in a deal somewhere down the line, which is most likely why Warriors owner Joe Lacob was unwilling to trade him.
However, what will be Kuminga's role next season, and will he evolve into a starter for Warriors head coach Steve Kerr?
“Lacob, while involved, opinionated, and willing to spend, has never demanded specific rotation decisions, sources said. Kerr, a four-time champion coach, will be given the same power he has always had over his operation in his 12th season with the Warriors,” Slater and Charania reported. “Kuminga's side understands that and knows — considering the history and roster dynamics in place — a reunion comes with a likely bench role and the possibility of being minimized for stretches of the season.”
Jonathan Kuminga turns down Warriors' $75.2 million offer
Ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga reportedly turned down $75.2 million on a three-year extension, as The Athletic's Anthony Slater and ESPN's Shams Charania noted.
“One of the latest counters, sources said, came in the past week: One year on a negotiable number, presented as a souped-up version of the qualifying offer, getting Kuminga a financial bump [up from $8 million] and unrestricted free agency next summer while wiping away the inherent no-trade clause and allowing the Warriors to use him as an expiring contract at the deadline,” Slater and Charania wrote.
“It would serve as a bridge deal that gives both sides the ability to examine another year together, but also a much more trade-friendly salary number as opposed to the qualifying offer, which has an Oct. 1 deadline.”
If Kuminga opts in to his qualifying offer, worth $8 million next season, he can veto any trade that comes across the Warriors' front office table.
