The way the Warriors have handled the Jonathan Kuminga situation this summer is the perfect example of what not to do with a talented young restricted free agent on your team. In addition to not meeting Kuminga’s demands and refusing all trade offers for him, there was a promising report that hinted that Kuminga might have a future with the Warriors.
The Sacramento Kings have been one team that has been constantly named in the teams interested in Kuminga. Now, following the constant reports of a rift between the front office and Jonathan Kuminga’s representation, a senior NBA writer, Sam Amick, claims that the Warriors not only rejected trade packages from the Kings, but also did so partly to avoid a scenario where he grows into a star in Sacramento.
“There is a sense from some people involved that there’s a real reluctance not only to finally ‘quit him,’ if you will, but also to see him go up the road to another Northern California NBA team. It’s run by a guy in Vivek Ranadivé, who used to be with the Warriors,” said Amick in a radio interview for SactTown Sports.
“And what if Kuminga blows up and becomes a total star? From a personal ownership dynamic level, there are some folks who feel like that could be playing a small part. Again, that’s not really relevant, because these other things are the real obstacles. But I mean, Joe—like a lot of owners—is very involved, too.”
The Warriors’ last offer to Kuminga was just shy of his demands, but only one change to it would have convinced Kuminga to sign the extension. If the final year of that $75.6 million offer were a player option instead of a team option, this saga would be over.
But Amick believes that the root of the issue was the reluctance to quit on Kuminga, but he also hinted that the former Warriors owner, Vivek Ranadive, may have a role in this decision.
Ranadive owned a seven percent share in the Warriors from 2010 to 2013 before he purchased the Kings, where he eventually purchased a 72% share in ownership. Jonathan Kuminga was a consistent starter for the Warriors before he fell in their ranks and eventually lost his minutes to Jimmy Butler.
Amick claimed that while this is conjecture without evidence, the Warriors’ current owner, Joe Lacob’s excessive involvement in the decision behind drafting and retaining Jonathan Kuminga, should raise some eyebrows.
In 2024-25, Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 30.5% from beyond the three-point line. If he gets over thirty minutes per game on a solid team, his numbers could take a significant leap. The Warriors cannot decide not to use him properly, nor let anyone else utilize his talents to the maximum potential.
The main objection here with such conjecture is that it brings two noteworthy potential observations about the Warriors to the surface. The Warriors cannot be this petty to avoid letting Kuminga go only due to bad relations between the management. If this is one of the reasons why Kuminga was not traded, then I can say fairly certainly that Kuminga will not be a Warriors player after the 2025-26 season.
While reports claim that he could buy into the team’s vision of getting Curry a fifth championship if his contract demand is met, he could still request a trade soon, and the drawbacks of being a restricted free agent will no longer be there.
Therefore, if Kuminga signs the qualifying offer or even signs an extension, until the front office shows him concrete plans for his future, it is unlikely that he will commit to the team after the 2025-26 season.
