Jonathan Kuminga’s days with the Golden State Warriors may be numbered. A new report suggests the 22-year-old forward is growing increasingly frustrated with Golden State’s front office and has no intention of returning to the team next season under the current terms.
“I don’t think Kuminga wants to play for the Warriors next year, and the Warriors believe he does not want to sign the qualifying offer,” reported 95.7 The Game.“The Warriors have dug in, and they’re trying to play hardball.”
While Kuminga is technically still a restricted free agent, contract talks have stalled, and the situation appears to be deteriorating. The Warriors are reportedly trying to assert leverage in negotiations, but it’s clear Kuminga wants a fresh start, and he may be willing to hold out to force the issue.
As a restricted free agent, Kuminga has minimal control over his market value this summer, but it hasn’t stopped him from betting on himself. Financially, he’s looking for at least $30 million per year, a number the Warriors have not come close to matching so far.
This standoff is about more than just finances, however. Kuminga feels misused and held back by his tenure with the Warriors, thanks to inconsistent minutes, an unstable role, and an incredibly short leash for someone who averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game last season. He helped the Warriors win the championship in 2022 and is arguably their best young player on a roster that’s known as one of the oldest in the NBA.
At just 22 years old, Kuminga is more accomplished than most players his age, with an ability to play both sides of the ball. Yet, throughout his Warriors tenure, Kuminga has been constantly overlooked and dismissed in favor of the more proven Warriors players. His relationship with the Warriors is borderline unsalvageable now, and he’d rather continue his career in a different situation.
So far, the Kings and the Suns have been willing and ready to make sign-and-trade offers for Kuminga, but GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. hasn’t found any package that he’s willing to accept. At the very least, the Kings would have to offer Malik Monk and an unprotected first-round pick just to start negotiations. Meanwhile, in Phoenix, the Suns don’t even have a first-round pick to trade, meaning they’d have to satisfy the Warriors’ demands in some other way.
As it stands, the Warriors are not budging on their stance with Kuminga. While they don’t believe he’s earned the massive pay raise he’s asking for, they also won’t accept anything but a premium package for the disgruntled NBA swingman. The result has been a complete deadlock in negotiations, bringing the Warriors’ offseason to a standstill and creating a major distraction to the entire organization.
Unless something changes quickly, the Warriors are stuck in a lose-lose scenario. Either they cave and overpay a player they don’t fully trust, or they risk losing Kuminga for nothing, with lingering tension overshadowing their offseason. As both sides dig in, this standoff could last well into training camp and potentially derail what’s left of Golden State’s championship window.
