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There is no time for rest in the NBA, especially in June. Just days removed from the final game of the 2025 NBA Finals, the league hosted the NBA Draft in Barclays Center, where Cooper Flagg officially became a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Now, the league shifts its attention once more to a pivotal free agency period that houses less talent than in years past but has a major storyline regarding the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga.
Although Kuminga has displayed flashes of his All-Star potential with the Warriors, he's never fully been unleashed like the organization envisioned when they drafted him seventh overall in 2021. With all the athleticism in the world and continuing to work on his craft as an isolation scorer on the wing, Kuminga stepped up when it mattered in the postseason with Stephen Curry sidelined.
Against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kuminga averaged 20.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 54.3 percent from the floor. When he has the ball in his hands and can operate in open space without playing off the ball, Kuminga has proven countless times he's capable of immediate growth and production.
However, that's not the case with the Warriors.
No matter what, Curry is and will continue to be the top option for Golden State. Jimmy Butler is the team's second star, and the offense continues to flow through Draymond Green. On top of Steve Kerr's hesitance to play Kuminga in the same rotations as Green and Butler, not to mention the head coach's strained relationship with the young forward, where does that leave the Warriors entering an important free agency period?
Major decisions will be made by the Warriors over the next 48 hours, as free agency begins on Monday night, starting with Kuminga's restricted free agency.
What will Warriors decide with Jonathan Kuminga?
Not much has changed regarding Kuminga and the upcoming free agency period despite the constant readaptation of his situation being rehashed and reported.
When the Warriors' season ended, all questions about where this organization would go in the offseason revolved around what would happen with Kuminga in restricted free agency. Around this time in May, as reported on ClutchPoints, the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, and Chicago Bulls were named the three prominent suitors for the young forward.
Although the Heat and Bulls are still in the mix right before the start of free agency, the Sacramento Kings have seemed to substitute themselves in place of the Nets as a prime Kuminga destination. Sam Amick of The Athletic was the first to report on Sacramento entering the mix for the Warriors forward.
All options are on the table for the Warriors entering free agency. Kuminga could return on a new, lucrative contract, or he could ultimately inform Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Joe Lacob of his desire to continue his career elsewhere. If it's the latter, then the Warriors have two options: find a sign-and-trade that works for both parties or let Kuminga walk for nothing (a scenario that is very unlikely to occur).
The bottom line is that Kuminga is a restricted free agent after the team extended the $7.9 million qualifying offer to him on Saturday, and Golden State does have some control over his future. Kuminga, as expected, won't be accepting this qualifying offer and will meet with other teams interested in him, in addition to the Warriors, during the free agency period.
Before free agency, Kuminga is spending countless hours in the gym working on his handle, decision-making, and shooting skills, sources told ClutchPoints. There is real optimism in Kuminga's camp that the 2025-26 season will be his best yet, and he is fixated on being a starter in this league. The young forward is taking his offseason training regimen seriously and is devoted to proving his overall worth.
At this point, the ball is sort of in Kuminga's court.
If he truly doesn't want to return to the Warriors, it's unlikely that they will hold him captive and match an offer sheet no matter what. Then again, Golden State won't let him walk away for nothing, which leads to the idea of a potential sign-and-trade.
It is unknown what this scenario would look like at this time. With this said, it's highly unlikely that Andrew Wiggins would be sent back to the Warriors in a potential sign-and-trade involving Kuminga and the Heat, sources said.
Miami continues to search the trade market for upgrades around Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, as they've made Wiggins available in trade talks. There are a few teams existing as potential suitors for Wiggins, including the Los Angeles Lakers. The two teams have spoken about Wiggins, yet there aren't any indications that the Heat and Lakers are progressing on a trade involving the former first-overall pick.
Another team that has expressed a level of interest in Wiggins is the Milwaukee Bucks, sources said. As they continue to seek improvements to their roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks are exploring opportunities in the trade market and free agency. Teams around the league, including the Warriors, continue to monitor Bobby Portis' availability.
Could there be a path to a multi-team sign-and-trade involving Kuminga, Wiggins, and Portis between Golden State, Milwaukee, and Miami? While this is purely speculation in terms of the trade scenario, there is a path that could financially work for all parties.
The Warriors have made it clear that they want to maintain financial flexibility moving forward. Keeping Kuminga would come at a significant cost for Golden State, as he wants a deal that pays him over $30 million per year, sources said.
Time is running out for the Warriors to decide on Kuminga, one that will have a direct impact on their chances of contending for a championship during the 2025-26 season.
The Ace Bailey dilemma with Jazz
Where Ace Bailey would ultimately end up in the 2025 NBA Draft was a question agents, scouts, and front-office executives were pondering throughout the week. It became abundantly clear that Bailey's representation and the Philadelphia 76ers had strong ill feelings toward one another, which is why he was ultimately on the board for the Utah Jazz to take with the fifth pick in the draft.
The Charlotte Hornets, who owned the fourth pick, received several calls leading up to Wednesday night's draft from the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Brooklyn Nets, sources said.
The Nets had looked for opportunities to not only move up and potentially take Bailey in the draft but also acquire a second lottery pick to pair him with Egor Demin, who the team loved throughout the pre-draft process and pinpointed as a player they needed to take no matter what. Demin was selected eighth by Brooklyn after they failed to trade up for Bailey.
Teams did not view the Nets' five first-round picks as all that attractive, especially the 26th and 27th picks, sources said. Brooklyn did receive calls about Cam Johnson leading up to the draft, yet the team has continued to maintain a high asking price for the two-way wing.
As for the Jazz, they held onto the fifth pick and ultimately selected Bailey, an 18-year-old wing with all the potential to become an All-Star talent in this league. The only problem is that this is not a destination Bailey's camp wanted, sources said. While the tone has since shifted in recent days and word surrounding the rookie has been positive toward the opportunity to join Utah, this isn't what they wanted.
With that said, Bailey will begin his career with the Jazz.
There won't be any holdouts like we tend to see in the NFL, and he is motivated to prove all of his doubters wrong. This is especially true since Bailey will have the opportunity to slide into a prominent role in Will Hardy's offense next to Lauri Markkanen.
Down the road, things could wind up getting dicey with Bailey. Already, there are some scouts theorizing that Bailey won't sign another contract with the Jazz once his rookie deal is up because Salt Lake City isn't one of his preferred destinations. All of this is a little premature to discuss, as the kid hasn't even stepped foot on the hardwood yet.
Maybe he will end up loving Utah after all and become the star-like talent he was destined to be as one of the best players in the nation coming out of high school.
Bailey will be with the Jazz for NBA Summer League, and it would be irresponsible to believe that he will pull any sort of antics to sit out during his rookie year in the league. Still, this is a polarizing situation to watch.
Outside of dealing with the drama that comes with selecting Bailey, the Jazz have remained active on the trade block. In addition to talking about Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and John Collins trades with multiple teams, Utah has not backed down from going big-game hunting.
Despite Austin Ainge shooting down all speculation of the Jazz pursuing Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown, claiming there was “no truth to them,” multiple rival team sources have stated the opposite. The Jazz did, in fact, speak with the Celtics about the possibility of pursuing Brown and made an aggressive push for the 2024 Finals MVP, which Boston wasn't entertaining, league sources said.
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Since then, Boston has continued to show zero indications that they want to move either Brown or key two-way guard Derrick White. After trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics remain active to try and continue cutting down their payroll.
Boston remaining active before free agency
Already, the 2025-26 season will be a step back for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum may not play at all after suffering a torn Achilles in the playoffs, and this roster will look completely different from the 2024-25 season when the new year begins.
Brown and White are both expected to be back, and the team would love to bring veteran big man Al Horford back as well, sources said. Horford, who had contemplated the idea of retirement, will return to the NBA for his 19th season, and he is drawing interest from several playoff-contending teams in both the East and West.
With Porzingis and Holiday walking out the door in Boston, this team has already saved themselves close to $200 million between payroll and taxes. Still, the Celtics remain above the first apron and are continuing to search the trade market for other possible moves, which could include relocating either Anfernee Simons or Georges Niang.
The Celtics would likely find it easier to move Niang, who is making $8.2 million in the final year of his contract, than Simons, who is making $27.6 million in the final year of his current deal. Both players can be traded again by the Celtics, but their contracts cannot be combined with others.
Simons' situation is unique, as he is a young talent who could fit into the Celtics' plans right away with Tatum out, as well as some other teams' agendas. After trading Lonzo Ball on Saturday and continuing to field calls about Coby White, the Chicago Bulls may need a new guard next to Josh Giddey, who the team intends to re-sign in free agency.
The Bulls like to play fast and shoot a lot of threes, which would fit Simons' style of play perfectly. More importantly, from Boston's point of view, Nikola Vucevic is a veteran big man who would make a lot of sense as a one-year replacement for Porzingis. Such a swap would immediately move the Celtics out of the first apron and give them a key veteran at center.
Although there is no confirmation that the two teams have discussed such a scenario, the Celtics have been mentioned by league sources as a team with interest in Vucevic previously. Any player on an expiring contract will be someone that Boston has interest in.
Another team worth mentioning regarding Simons, if the Celtics were to relocate him again, is the Los Angeles Clippers. Simons is a player LA has been linked to previously in trade rumors, but the Clippers have their own problems to sort through with Norman Powell in the final year of his contract and James Harden potentially opting out to demand more money in free agency.
The bottom line for the Celtics is that they are not done exploring possible moves just yet and they will continue revamping their roster around Brown and White entering the 2025-26 season.
Timberwolves' next steps in free agency after Naz Reid contract
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Naz Reid came to an agreement on a five-year, $125 million contract to avoid free agency on Friday night, league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints. This deal was first reported by ESPN.
Reid, the 2023-24 NBA Sixth Man of the Year, averaged 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 37.9 percent from 3-point range this past season. He has proven to be an essential part of the Timberwolves' core, helping them reach the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history.
Bringing back Reid was a must for the Wolves this summer. He was their main priority, and the Timberwolves were not prepared to let other teams have the opportunity to try and lure the 25-year-old stretch big man away.
Now, Minnesota has a financial crisis on its hands. With the Timberwolves expected to be a tax and apron team once more, there are now major questions being asked about their ability to retain both Julius Randle and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Right before free agency, multiple teams are preparing to pursue Alexander-Walker, who is one of the premier swingmen available in the open market as an unrestricted free agent. The Atlanta Hawks and San Antonio Spurs are two teams mentioned as free agency suitors for Alexander-Walker, who is expected to receive plenty of interest from teams with their full mid-level exception available, sources said.
The Orlando Magic have previously been mentioned by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, and the Clippers are a sneaky team to watch as potentially getting in the mix.
Myles Turner expected to remain with Pacers
All indications point to Myles Turner and the Indiana Pacers reaching an agreement early in the free agency window, league sources told ClutchPoints. Turner has been an essential leader for the Pacers on and off the court, and he was instrumental in their efforts to reach the NBA Finals this season.
Although the Pacers are generally never a tax-paying team, rival organizations expect owner Herb Simon to give his front office the green light to spend what it takes to keep this team as a contending threat in a weak-looking Eastern Conference.
The big question for Indiana is how they plan to replace Tyrese Haliburton, who is likely to miss all of the 2025-26 season with an Achilles injury.
Indiana did select Kam Jones from Marquette in the second round of the NBA Draft, and there is a path to him seeing key minutes early in his rookie campaign next to TJ McConnell and Andrew Nembhard in the backcourt. There has been no talk of the Pacers being linked to veteran free agent guards like Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder, or Tyus Jones despite speculation on social media, sources said.
Even without Haliburton, the Pacers can still be competitive in the East. That is why bringing back Turner is at the front of their to-do list.
Other notes and intel from around the NBA
Atlanta Hawks: Once again, as this seems to be a reoccurring statement in our intel posts, the Atlanta Hawks are not making Trae Young available in trade talks, multiple league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints. If the right offer came their way, the Hawks would obviously evaluate their options, but new GM Onsi Saleh has already built a strong foundation with Young and the two sides and is highly motivated to turn things around during the 2025-26 season.
The Hawks see a clear path to becoming a contending team at full strength. Trading for Porzingis only strengthens this roster, as they now have two towering big men who can stretch the floor in Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu, who the team also continues to leave out of trade conversations despite other teams' persistent interest. As free agency begins, Atlanta is expected to bring back veteran swingman Caris LeVert, sources said.
Chicago Bulls: What are the Bulls doing? Trading Lonzo Ball isn't a bad idea, but Chicago brought back Isaac Okoro, who has always been an inconsistent offensive player and still has two more guaranteed years left on his current contract. There is no sense of direction for the Bulls, and Saturday's trade involving Ball followed a rough trend of Chicago not getting back any draft assets in trades.
DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Caruso, and Ball have all been traded by the Bulls over the last year, and the team didn't get a single draft pick for any of these four key talents. That is really rough for a team that has made the playoffs just once in the last eight seasons and continues to downplay the fact that they have been rebuilding since Michael Jordan's final game with the Bulls that brought them a championship in 1998.
Charlotte Hornets: Tre Mann and the Charlotte Hornets are likely to agree on a new contract early in free agency, where he will be the backup point guard behind LaMelo Ball. After joining the Hornets during the 2023-24 season, Mann played just 13 games this past year before suffering a herniated disc in his back. He has made a full recovery and will be a key secondary talent for Charlotte.
Cleveland Cavaliers: After trading for Ball, it looks increasingly unlikely that the Cleveland Cavaliers Sixth Man of the Year finalist Ty Jerome will return in free agency. Plenty of teams will hold interest in potentially signing Jerome using their full mid-level exception in free agency. Keep an eye on teams like the Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets, and Sacramento Kings as potential landing spots for Jerome. These four teams have a key need for backcourt depth.
Phoenix Suns: The Phoenix Suns moved Kevin Durant to the Rockets before the NBA Draft, and they ended up addressing key needs over the two nights of the draft by adding Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, and Koby Brea. Now, the next order of business for Phoenix is continuing to cut down on their taxes and trying to move Bradley Beal in a trade.
So far, Beal remains in the same situation he was in before the trade deadline in February. Beal still owns his no-trade clause, and there hasn't been a clear path to a potential trade involving the former All-Star. The Suns are essentially stuck with Beal for the moment.
