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Many rookie-scale contract extensions were agreed upon in the NBA on Monday before the start of the 2024-25 NBA season. The Golden State Warriors and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. found themselves in the middle of contract extension talks as they agreed to a three-year, $39 million deal with Moses Moody. However, the same cannot be said about Jonathan Kuminga, who is now entering the final year of his rookie deal without receiving an extension.
Whether or not the Warriors would extend Kuminga was one of the key storylines leading up to Monday's contract extension deadline. Ultimately, the two sides were far apart in their contract discussions, as Kuminga was looking to be compensated for being one of the better young players in the league. On the other side of things, the Warriors did not want to tie themselves down to a $30 million-plus contract over the next several years until they are absolutely sure the 2021 lottery pick is a player they can continue to build with for a foreseeable future.
There is nothing wrong with the Warriors and Kuminga not reaching an agreement, as now the 22-year-old has a chance to showcase his abilities and earn himself the maximum in his next deal at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. After failing to reach an agreement with Kuminga's representation, Dunleavy spoke to reporters on Tuesday, simply stating that the goals of the franchise remain the same and that everyone is still very high on Kuminga's potential.
“I mean, I don't think much has changed in regards to his future with the team. Sometimes these things get done, sometimes they don't. Don't really want to overreact either way,” Dunleavy explained, via Warriors on NBCS. “From that standpoint, really good communication and conversations over the summer to get to where we got to. Didn't get a deal done. It's got to work for both sides; totally reasonable. Saw some deals get done out there in the league, some didn't. We will have him [Kuminga] as a restricted free agent this season, and I think the most important thing for JK is to just have a great year.
“I think we are in great alignment and move forward and hope to get something done in the offseason.”
Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors fail to reach extension
Perhaps the biggest reason the Warriors and Kuminga did not come to terms on a new deal is due to the wide gap the two sides had on his value at this moment in time. While Golden State does want Kuminga to be a part of their future and they do view him as an essential part of the team's overall success, there was no desire to make the 2021 first-round pick one of the highest-paid players from his draft class.
Whereas Kuminga and his camp were looking for a contract similar to the max deals that Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner got this summer — a five-year, $220 million contract extension — the Warriors were not wanting to exceed an extension in the ballpark of $30 million per season, league sources told ClutchPoints.
There was never any point in which it appeared as if an extension was going to be agreed upon, which is why Kuminga is betting on himself entering the 2024-25 season.
Overall, this isn't a terrible thing for Kuminga either. Aside from having the chance to truly become a max-level player, Kuminga is going to be a starter to begin the new season. In this role, he has a chance to solidify himself as the Warriors' second-best scoring option next to Stephen Curry, especially with Klay Thompson gone.
These contract negotiations the Warriors held with Kuminga and his representation were nothing more than the business side of basketball. While some will say there is tension that exists between the two sides, Dunleavy appeared to squash this belief on Tuesday, simply stating that the team is excited to see Kuminga grow into the star everyone believes he can be.
