Jonathan Kuminga Re-signs with the Warriors for $48.5 Million
After a long stalemate during the summer, restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has reached an agreement with the Golden State Warriors for a two-year, $48.5 million contract, according to his agent, Aaron Turner.
The agreement includes a team option in the second year, designed so that the Warriors, or any other team in case Kuminga is traded, can negotiate a new contract after the 2025-26 season.
Before the qualified offer deadline, Kuminga opted for the two-year deal instead of a three-year, $75 million proposal, seeking to maintain greater control over his immediate future with the Warriors. Both sides understand the possibility of exploring trades when Kuminga is eligible to be traded in mid-January. As part of the agreement, Kuminga waives his no-trade clause.
Kuminga did not attend media day or the Warriors’ first day of practice while the agreement was being finalized.
Negotiations between Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Kuminga’s team remained at a standstill during the preseason. Golden State ultimately increased its initial two-year offer by a total of $8 million between July and September, guaranteeing Kuminga approximately $15 million more than he would have earned with the one-year, $8 million qualifying offer.
In the last two months, the Warriors had offered a two-year, $45 million contract with a team option, and earlier this month they offered a three-year, $75 million contract with a team option, in addition to a fully guaranteed three-year, $54 million deal. Kuminga and his team sought a player option during negotiations, or a higher annual salary with a team option, requests that were denied by the Warriors.
The two-year structure allows Kuminga to make a decision about his future with any team next summer, or reach unrestricted free agency in 2027.
Kuminga’s deal becomes the fourth-highest salary for the Warriors next season, behind Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green, increasing the team’s luxury tax penalty by $70 million, for a total of more than $80 million.
By signing Kuminga with a salary of 22.5 million dollars next season, Golden State will still have the flexibility to use its taxpayer mid-level exception of 5.7 million dollars and sign two players for the veteran minimum.
Gary Payton II signed a one-year contract for the veteran minimum with the Warriors, and Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and rookie Will Richard have also reached agreements.
However, the Warriors will not have room to sign a fifteenth player at the start of the season, as they are only 2.03 million dollars below the second tax apron. They will be able to sign a fifteenth player, potentially free agent Seth Curry, starting November 15th.
The Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings were the teams most interested in Kuminga in trade talks, with the biggest “sign-and-trade” offer coming from the Suns, for a four-year deal and almost 90 million dollars with a player option. The Warriors never showed interest in any trade proposal, rejecting the ideas of Royce O’Neale and second-round picks from the Suns, as well as Malik Monk and a protected first-round pick from the Kings.
Kuminga had little participation in the Warriors’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets, playing only 50 minutes in seven games, including four DNP-CDs. He averaged six points on 30.4% shooting against Houston. However, Kuminga shined in the Western Conference Semifinals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Stephen Curry out of action. He averaged 20.8 points on 54.3% shooting against the Timberwolves, including three consecutive games scoring over 20 points to finish the series.
Kuminga has led the Warriors in points in the paint per game in each of the last two seasons, averaging 10 points in the paint in 2023-24 and 8.5 last season, a big boost for a team that had the fifth-worst record in points in the paint last season. Among players from the 2021 draft class, Kuminga ranks fifth in points per 36 minutes (minimum 150 games).
Kuminga is also one of eight players with 3,000 points and 1,000 rebounds from the 2021 draft class, and is one of five players in Warriors history to score 3,000 points before turning 23.
Kuminga has shown his ability to elevate his performance when the Warriors are missing a key player, increasing his scoring average from 14.1 points per game in games where Curry played to 19.6 points per game in 10 games without Curry, making him the second-best on the team in this situation, only surpassed by Butler’s 20 points per night, who played only 3 games without Curry. Kuminga also increased his shooting percentage from 44.5% with Curry to 48.2% without him.
Kuminga becomes the third restricted free agent to find a solution in September, after Cam Thomas signed a one-year, $6 million qualifying offer to return to the Brooklyn Nets, and Josh Giddey reached a four-year, $100 million agreement to stay with the Chicago Bulls. Philadelphia’s Quentin Grimes remains the last pending restricted free agent.
Upon entering free agency this summer, only a few teams had cap space, which created a freeze situation in the restricted market. The Nets have operated as the only team with true cap space for most of the preseason.
