Jonathan Kuminga Rejects Warriors’ Offer
Golden State Warriors player Jonathan Kuminga continues to reject the two-year, $45 million contract offer presented by the team, according to sources close to the situation. This decision is largely due to the Warriors’ insistence on including a team option for the second season and their refusal to allow him to maintain a no-trade clause.
Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, presented the Warriors with several scenarios during the summer league meetings in Las Vegas, including a three-year deal for around $82 million that would allow the Warriors to stay below the second tax apron and use the taxpayer mid-level exception.
Kuminga and Turner have been exploring trade and signing options during the month of July. The most significant negotiations have been with the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns, who have offered proposals of up to four years, approaching $90 million in total, including a player option for the last season. The Suns have been the most aggressive in their trade and signing attempts.
The Warriors have not shown interest in the Kings’ and Suns’ trade offers for Kuminga. In recent days, they have begun to indicate that they plan to completely suspend trade and signing talks, making the most of their influence as a restricted free agent. Their current stance is that Kuminga will be on the Warriors’ roster at the start of next season, either through their two-year offer or the one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer, depending on Kuminga’s preference.
Kuminga prefers the long-term offers presented by the Kings and Suns, as he believes they represent a fresh start, a more guaranteed role, a promised starting position, and a greater level of respect and control over his career, which is reflected in the player option. Phoenix’s proposal also guarantees almost 70 million dollars more than the Warriors’ offer.
Kuminga stated that he is not in a hurry to reach an agreement with the Warriors.
This stalemate primarily centers on control, and the dispute over the option is fundamental. Kuminga believes that accepting the Warriors’ two-year offer with a team option, along with waiving his no-trade clause, concedes too much control to a franchise that, according to him, has hindered and prolonged his career for four seasons.
The Suns and Kings have offered Kuminga the type of defined role that has eluded him with the Warriors. Golden State coach Steve Kerr made several comments after the Jimmy Butler trade, suggesting that Kuminga’s adaptation alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green made it difficult for him to play consistent minutes. Kuminga is more drawn to outside options, as he sees Kerr as someone who has made it clear that there is no defined opportunity for him to play many minutes each night with the Warriors.
The Warriors believe they have the best offer on the table for Kuminga due to the higher starting salary ($21.7 million next season compared to $19.8 million elsewhere) and the concept of a two-year team option. The deal is purposely structured to be tradeable starting January 15th, and if Kuminga’s ultimate desire is to play elsewhere, it would allow his next team to decline the team option and extend his contract. He would be the fourth-highest-paid player on the Warriors next season if he accepted the offer.
Golden State is the only NBA team that has not made any offseason acquisitions due to the lack of resolution with Kuminga.
According to the collective bargaining agreement, the Warriors’ proposed one-year plus one contract would have an inherent no-trade clause, as Kuminga’s next team would not retain his Bird rights. That would give Kuminga some control over his next NBA destination, should the Warriors decide to trade him. However, the Warriors have requested that he waive that implicit no-trade clause, similar to what D’Angelo Russell did for his contract with the Lakers in the summer of 2023.
This negotiation is another example of the ongoing fight for control of Kuminga’s future. That’s why, despite the short and long-term financial risk, Kuminga is expressing his willingness to potentially accept the qualifying offer. He would reject almost 14 million extra dollars next season, but would be given an implicit no-trade clause and the possibility of becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer at age 23.
Kuminga has until October 1st to sign the qualifying offer.
