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Only one team has yet to make any moves this NBA offseason. That would be the Golden State Warriors as a result of their ongoing stalemate with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. Little progress has been made between the two parties since the summer began, as the organization and player have been moving in two different directions for years.
When the Warriors drafted Kuminga seventh overall in 2021, they did so with the mindset that he would eventually become an equal to Andrew Wiggins on the wing as an athletic and explosive 3-and-D-like forward. Although plenty of potential still exists and he has proven his dynamic skills off the dribble, Kuminga's style of play simply doesn't fit Golden State's philosophy.
That is why Steve Kerr hasn't utilized him at times in his system, and that is why Kuminga has been seeking a fresh start.
It appeared as if the Dubs, who had constantly been reluctant to discuss the young forward in trade talks, were ready to part ways with Kuminga before the 2025 NBA trade deadline in a three-team trade that would have reunited Kevin Durant with Stephen Curry and the Warriors. Kuminga would have gone to the Phoenix Suns, along with Jimmy Butler, in this multi-team deal.
These talks ultimately fell through when Durant made it very clear he held zero intentions of being traded and returning to Golden State, which led to more questions about what the future held for Kuminga entering the offseason. All indications pointed to the Warriors finding a suitable sign-and-trade, yet a month has gone by in free agency without any deals materializing.
The message from Kuminga and his camp has been pretty clear: they want a fresh start on a team that values his long-term potential and can maximize his minutes. This is something that won't happen with the Warriors, seeing as they are focused on winning with Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green nearing the end of their respective careers rather than developing youth.
On the flip side, the Warriors made it clear before the offseason began that they would not let Kuminga walk for nothing, and they will fully utilize leverage with him being a restricted free agent. That is what has occurred, as the Dubs won't be talked into a sign-and-trade scenario they do not like, and they still have plans to utilize him during the 2025-26 season.
Now, in the month of August and unable to fill out the rest of their roster until the Kuminga standoff ends, the Warriors want to find a solution to this problem now. Despite the two sides playing coy with one another, Golden State has essentially backed Kuminga into a corner.
Warriors putting pressure on Jonathan Kuminga
While his market has been thin this offseason, Kuminga has drawn interest from teams outside of Golden State. Specifically, the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns have headlined talks of a potential sign-and-trade this offseason.
Kuminga, who wants a new opportunity on a team that views him as a starter, would welcome any chance to join either team, league sources told ClutchPoints. The Kings have been widely viewed as Kuminga's top destination, especially after recently meeting with new GM Scott Perry and members of the organization.
Even though they can't sign him to an offer sheet given their current cap situation, Sacramento presented Kuminga and his representation with a contract that benefits both sides: a three-year, $63 million deal, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
After the Warriors declined their previous sign-and-trade proposal, which included Dario Saric, Devin Carter, and a protected first-round pick, the Kings changed their proposal to include former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Malik Monk. Although this offer is still there for the taking and appears to be Sacramento's final proposal for Kuminga, the Warriors have not budged.
Monk still has two more years left on his contract past the upcoming 2025-26 season, and Golden State has made it clear that they do not want to take back significant long-term salary. Not to mention, the Warriors do not want to gamble when it comes to draft compensation coming back in a potential Kuminga deal. This pick would need to be unprotected for the Dubs to consider such a deal, sources said.
To make things abundantly clear, the Kings changing this offer and making the outgoing pick and a 2030 or 2031 unprotected first-round selection would not guarantee that the Warriors would immediately accept this trade. Other obstacles exist, and this is not a situation where Golden State has countered Sacramento's offer by stating they would accept the trade with less protections.
The main roadblock is matching Kuminga's outgoing salary and remaining under the first apron, which would force them to part ways with either Moses Moody or Buddy Hield if they were to bring in Monk.
This isn't something Golden State has any interest in doing, as they view Moody as an essential secondary contributor who can fill many roles in Kerr's daily rotations, sources said. Trading Moody is not a path the Warriors want to go down at this time, especially given their lack of wing depth, as reported when discussing the latest Kuminga news with my good friend Allen Stiles at Sactown Sports 1140 on Friday.
Also, there was never any movement on a potential Suns deal. Phoenix brought up potential paths involving different pairings of Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, and Nick Richards, yet the Warriors were not interested from the start, with the Suns keeping young talents like Ryan Dunn out of the conversations altogether.
No movement has been made from the Warriors' point of view on the Kings' latest offer, and the Dubs have put more pressure on Kuminga to return by cutting off discussions of a potential sign-and-trade this offseason, sources said. Not enough value has presented itself to the Warriors for them to move off Kuminga, which is why they want him back on a short-term deal.
Further clarity of this situation about a potential trade was provided by Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard on Monday, who stated Kuminga won't be traded this summer. And shoutout to Marcus Thompson and Kawakami on the Warriors Plus Minus podcast for the mention about the Dubs pivoting from trade talks.
Anyway, that small deal is a two-year, $45 million proposal that sees Kuminga get paid, and it allows the Dubs to essentially extend their time to chart a potential trade before the 2026 NBA trade deadline. Of course, with all the noise surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo's future, that too remains in the back of the Warriors brass' minds when it comes to keeping Kuminga on a competitive contract.
If Kuminga and his camp were to turn down this option, with the Warriors already signaling that they are no longer exploring sign-and-trade routes, the only other option left is to accept that one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer. But in doing so, Kuminga would really be limiting his overall growth for a whole year since taking the qualifying offer is bad for everyone.
Aside from the Warriors losing all leverage and the ability to trade Kuminga in a deal they like over the next year, the young forward would be giving up over $35 million to “bet on himself” and hope that money is there in 2026. Long story short, that money won't be there since Kumings would be in a toxic situation and see his role unchanged, if not worsened.
Not to mention, Kuminga's career could end prematurely, and/or he will never be able to make up the money he turned down if he were to suffer an injury while playing on said qualifying offer.
It just makes zero sense from anyone's perspective for Kuminga to take this one-year deal and try to increase his value in a tough situation, which is why all roads still lead to a reunion between Kuminga and the Warriors. This has been the likeliest scenario since before free agency began, as his market was dry to begin with.
Whether or not the Warriors slightly change their contract offer to Kuminga, it is believed that Kuminga will ultimately blink first and accept Golden State's offer, something that could've been done weeks ago to avoid all the unnecessary drama.
Once Kuminga's contract is figured out, the Warriors can then finish building their roster, which has silently been put together through the weeks. Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton have not signed with any other team because of verbal agreements already in place with Golden State, multiple league sources told ClutchPoints in July.
Along with Horford and Melton, both Gary Payton II and Seth Curry are two other players widely speculated to be in the mix for minimum contracts with the Warriors. Re-signing Kuminga and potentially signing all four of these veterans puts the Warriors at 14 roster spots and in a comfortable financial position to make further moves in the middle of the 2025-26 season.
This standoff between Kuminga and the Warriors is nearing a conclusion, with options for the young forward running out.
Luka Doncic, De'Aaron Fox ink long-term extensions
It was never a question of whether Luka Doncic would sign an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers this past weekend. Instead, it was a question of how much this extension would be worth.
Doncic opted for a three-year, $165 million deal to remain with the Lakers through the 2028-29 season. However, there is a caveat to this extension, as the Lakers' new superstar can opt out of his deal in 2028 to receive a five-year extension that would total over $400 million.
Winning is all that matters to Doncic, and he envisions leading the Lakers to another championship. As far as the team's chances of winning a title during the 2025-26 season, Luka's message was simple: “We’re going to go for it.”
Of course, you can't celebrate Doncic's extension and the offseason if you're the Lakers without talking about LeBron James, who was absent from this spectacle in Los Angeles on Saturday despite several members and players in attendance. James' absence raised more speculation about his future, yet all is well in Hollywood.
LeBron and Luka talked to one another on a FaceTime call from James to congratulate the young star on his new deal, and the two hold a high amount of respect for one another. It is their mission to maximize the 2025-26 season and compete at the highest level.
In addition to talking with Doncic, LeBron has been in constant contact with several members of the Lakers' staff this offseason and never once cut off communication amid rumors of his frustrations, league sources said.
James remains committed to the Lakers through the final year of his contract, and he has not approached the team at any point about a potential trade or buyout. Whether or not LeBron will remain with the Lakers past the 2025-26 season is the big question at large, especially with the option of retirement looming.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference, De'Aaron Fox agreed to a four-year, $229 million max contract with the San Antonio Spurs that holds no player option in the final year, sources said. This new deal also doesn't contain any language of a trade kicker or guaranteed salary clauses, meaning Fox will make $229 million through the 2029-30 season.
There was never any doubt about Fox getting paid by the Spurs this offseason, especially after they traded for him before the trade deadline in February, but there was talk about this new extension being worth slightly less than the maximum in the $200 million to $210 million range.
Ultimately, Fox and his camp made it clear to San Antonio that they wanted the full amount, and so that was that.
Despite concerns about Fox's fit alongside Stephon Castle and second overall pick Dylan Harper, the Spurs are thrilled to have three unique and very talented guards as the backbone of their roster next to Victor Wembanyama, sources said. All three guards will be utilized in key roles this season, and Fox will be viewed as one of the leaders of the team.
This extension is smarter for San Antonio than many tend to think based off first glance because it locks in their backcourt trio for at least the next three years, assuming the Spurs don't leverage assets ahead of time for a big superstar like Giannis or someone else.
Eventually, the Spurs will need to make tough contract decisions regarding Castle and Harper down the line, at a time when cap numbers will only increase. Having Fox sign this extension now and locking up his future ensures that San Antonio will have options moving forward as they continue to grow themselves into a real playoff threat in the Western Conference.
Concerns loom large over Joel Embiid
As reported over the weekend and firmly on Monday afternoon, there is genuine concern about Joel Embiid's health entering the 2025-26 season after undergoing a second procedure on his left knee in April. While the Philadelphia 76ers continue to downplay his injury history and expect him to be healthy for training camp, that isn't the belief around the league, specifically among those close to the situation.
The common word associated with Embiid and his health this offseason is that things are “bad,” and his knee health won't ever be at the point where he can be deemed 100 percent healthy.
“When you have a second surgery to attempt to fix the initial problem, and then you continue to deal with delays and more complications, that's never a good sign,” one member of an NBA team's medical personnel told ClutchPoints. “Few players have been able to come back from multiple surgeries and injuries to the same part of their body, which is what Joel is trying to achieve.
“For him specifically, his injury history and knee issues go back to when he first entered the league. To even play at the level he has to this point is remarkable. Of course, everyone wants to see him back and 100 percent healthy, as the league is better with all of its stars on the court. The reality here is that the damage has been done, and none of us can get word on if it's actually repairable.”
With concerns surrounding Embiid growing, the 76ers are already preparing to enter camp without Paul George, who suffered a knee injury while working out this offseason and underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee. The Sixers said he will be re-evaluated right before camp begins, which puts his status for the preseason in doubt.
This situation in Philadelphia is very unsettling for 76ers fans, and the anxiety surrounding Embiid will only worsen if he isn't ready to go for training camp.
Where will Kevin Love finish his career?
Since he was traded to the Utah Jazz in the three-team deal that sent Norman Powell to the Miami Heat and John Collins to the Utah Jazz, it has been speculated that Kevin Love would eventually reach a buyout agreement.
There is more solid confirmation of this being the case, as Marc Stein recently reported that Love is “actively exploring” ways to get out of Utah. It is hard to envision a team trading for Love, which is why a buyout is the likely scenario here.
However, where will Love ultimately end up, and where could he possibly finish his career?
Word around the league surrounding Love is that he wants to end up in Los Angeles, sources said. There were some rumors that Love would want to go to New York, although there doesn't seem to be much interest brewing from the Knicks.
Both the Clippers and Lakers still have one open roster spot. But if the Lakers were to pursue Love and reunite him with LeBron, they would need to move off another contract since they are hard-capped at the first apron and just $1.1 million from this mark. When looking at the Clippers, they are basically in the same situation, as they are $1.2 million from their first apron hard cap.
Perhaps a reunion with the Minnesota Timberwolves should be discussed. The Timberwolves have an open roster spot to fill, and they recently lost Luka Garza in free agency.
Given his experience and championship DNA, Love would be a great voice for the Wolves to add in their locker room, especially with younger frontcourt pieces like Joan Beringer, Rocco Zikarsky, and Leonard Miller not necessarily ready to contribute right away.
The two other teams with open roster spots that allow Love the opportunity to be a part of a winning organization are the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors. There has not been any reported interest between Love and these two teams, as these are just potential options for the veteran to possibly explore as he looks to depart the Jazz.
Other news & intel around the NBA:
Chicago Bulls: Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls are expected to reach a resolution on a new contract, likely in the three-year range, by the end of August. The Bulls could increase their offer, but they have stood firm on keeping a new deal in the $20 million AAV range. The latest speculation from agents not involved in negotiations suggests something in the $65 million to $70 million range.
Miami Heat: Tyler Herro becomes eligible for a three-year extension worth near $150 million with the Miami Heat in October before the start of the 2025-26 season. This is a situation teams are keeping an eye on, as Pat Riley has always been cautious with giving out extensions (see Jimmy Butler's situation for details). A decision to extend or not to extend Herro will tell the tale of how the Heat view themselves in the East.
New York Knicks: Ben Simmons has drawn the most interest from the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks and is expected to choose where he will play during the 2025-26 season soon, sources said. Maybe another team could swoop in and convince Simmons to sign with them, but these are the two most discussed avenues among league circles for the former first overall pick. My guess: Simmons ends up in New York.
Philadelphia 76ers: On a brighter note regarding the 76ers, my colleague Tomer Azarly recently spoke one-on-one with Tyrese Maxey about his newest launch with New Balance. When asked about his new “Hero Pack” at New Balance and assigning superhero monikers to his teammates in Philadelphia, Maxey had some hilarious comparisons for Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Jared McCain. Check out the full interview here.
