Former Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins issued a harsh reality check for Jonathan Kuminga, amidst his contract negotiations with the Golden State Warriors.
Appearing on the NBA Today show, Perkins did not mince any words, letting Kuminga know what he thinks the Warriors organization thinks of the 24-year-old power forward.
“I don’t know if Jonathan Kuminga watches NBA Today, but they don’t want you, dawg. They don’t value you because if they did, you wouldn’t be going through this. And it started last season, Steve Kerr showed you how he felt about you.” Perkins said.
The former Cavaliers center-turned analyst was referring to how Coach Kerr put Kuminga out of the rotation last season. Kuminga’s injury and Jimmy Butler’s entry to the team created a situation where the 22-year-old did not find a suitable lineup to be a part of once he recovered and returned.
Kerr’s staff tried a Butler-Green-Kuminga lineup, but that resulted in a net negative 24.9 rating for the Warriors over the 38 minutes it was played for.
“When you look at this situation, it will cause turmoil in the locker room if you bring him back at $7.9 million because he’s gonna go out there and play individual basketball, and it’s hard for me to tell a guy not to go out there and get his numbers because I know he wants to get paid!” Perkins added.
Insider Brian Windhorst believes this face-off over Kuminga’s contract could go on for some time since there is no compulsion for either party to get this done in two weeks. But the Warriors do remain the only team in the league that has still not made a single move to fill up their roster with an experienced player.
“I think at the end of the day, Jonathan Kuminga is going to be on the Warriors. And I think at the end of the day, Al Horford… and DeAnthony Melton is going to be on the Warriors,” Windhorst announced.
He doesn’t see Kuminga getting out of there anytime soon, and there’s only one thing that Warriors fans need to wait out and see.
“The only question is, is he going to be on the team as a filler to just sit on their books until January, when he can be traded, or is he going to be a genuine member of the team?” the NBA insider added.
It is being reported that the Warriors pulled a two-year/ $45 million deal from Kuminga, and now the only option he’ll be left with is signing a one-year, $7.9 million qualifying deal. The difference in these two massive sums of money will make anyone wait and see all options.
The negotiations have also left the Warriors out of contention for some marquee free agents or available players, such as Malcolm Brogdon, in whom they showed an interest. It was reported that because of the Kuminga situation, he did not even consider the Stephen Curry-led team.
The Warriors are in a tough position, but multiple insiders believe they will get out of this situation and bolster their bench, which will ensure Curry has the required help to go on another deep playoff run.
