Warriors and Kuminga locked in contract standoff as talks resume
Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have started talking again after a week of silence, but they’re still far from reaching a deal. ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported Friday that while communication has reopened, the two sides remain at odds over contract terms.
“There’s been renewed conversations between the two sides. There’s dialogue, but as you all know, talking doesn’t necessarily equal movement,” Slater said during an appearance on NBA Today.
The 22-year-old forward doesn’t want to be treated like a chess piece in the Warriors’ plans.
“The word I’ve heard used from the Kuminga side is ‘pawn,'” Slater revealed. “He doesn’t want to sign this two-year, $45 million deal with a team option where he is clearly just being used to be traded mid-season.”
Kuminga’s camp has made it clear they’re looking for a contract that positions him as a core player for the team’s future, not just trade bait.
The Warriors aren’t budging from their original offer: two years, $45 million with a team option for the second year. Kuminga wants either a player option or a longer commitment.
Surprisingly, Kuminga seems ready to take the much smaller $7.9 million qualifying offer instead.
Why would he leave so much money on the table? Control.
The qualifying offer comes with two major benefits: a no-trade clause for the upcoming season and unrestricted free agency in 2026. This would give Kuminga complete freedom to choose his next team without Golden State having any say.
“You talk to people around him and he’s pretty dug in,” Slater added. “If two for $45 million with the team option is going to be the best offer, he will see them in training camp on an expiring qualifying offer.”
This standoff has thrown a wrench into the Warriors’ entire offseason plan. Free agent signings Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton are stuck in limbo, unable to finalize their deals until the Kuminga situation resolves.
Don’t expect a quick resolution either. Restricted free agents have until October 1 to accept qualifying offers, meaning this could drag on for weeks.
“August is a lot easier for people to just be like, ‘OK, we’ll get to you when we get to you,'” Slater explained. “September’s where it starts to get a little bit more uncomfortable… where this could get a little bit dicier.”
Kuminga showed real promise last season, averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes per game. The former 7th overall pick in the 2021 draft started 10 of his 47 appearances.
For now, the Warriors face a tough choice: improve their offer to keep a promising young talent happy, or risk losing him for nothing next summer if he takes the qualifying offer.
