Kuminga close to accepting Warriors’ QO offer: Seeks player option

Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors: A Contractual Stagnation

Jonathan Kuminga’s future with the Golden State Warriors hangs in the balance. His agent, Aaron Turner, has revealed that the player is willing to accept the $8 million qualifying offer if the team’s current proposal is not improved.

There’s a lot of potential. He wants to choose where he wants to go. So the qualifying offer is real, for sure.

Aaron Turner, Jonathan Kuminga’s agent

The Warriors have presented Kuminga, 22, with three different offers. The most lucrative is for three years and $75.2 million, with a team option for the third season, guaranteeing Kuminga $48.3 million in the first two years. He has also been offered a two-year contract for $45 million, with a team option in the second year, and another for three years and $54 million without options. Kuminga has rejected all offers so far, requesting that the team option be converted into a player option, which he would be willing to sign.

The Warriors have declined to include a player option in any of their offers and have not commented on the status of negotiations.

If the Warriors want to win now, if they want a happy and fairly treated player who is an important part of this team, we believe they should give the player the option.

Aaron Turner, Jonathan Kuminga’s agent

If he signs the qualifying offer, Kuminga would forgo more than $40 million guaranteed over the next two seasons, but would obtain unrestricted free agency next summer and an inherent no-trade clause. Kuminga has been exploring the market, including opinions from outside the Warriors organization. The Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns have shown a more aggressive interest, but they have not managed to present trade offers that convince the Warriors to let Kuminga go. Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. mentioned the team was in a “good position” with Kuminga, but this hasn’t translated into a deal. Warriors owner Joe Lacob traveled to Miami to meet with Kuminga in August, but the contract dispute continues. The key for Kuminga is the player option in the two or three-year offers. They would be willing to sign the two-year contract in the $45 million range if he is allowed to keep the no-trade clause, allowing him to influence where he will play. However, the Warriors have not conceded on that, requesting that Kuminga waive the no-trade clause. Turner has stated that Kuminga would be willing to accept a team option deal if the Warriors increase the annual figure to around $30 million or if they accept the current deals with the player option. Otherwise, they threaten to accept the qualifying offer, which would decrease his trade value.