Alright, hoop heads, buckle up! We’ve got some juicy Warriors gossip and trade rumors to dive into. Let’s get right into it!
Kuminga’s Max Contract Dreams
So, about a month back, word on the street was that Jonathan Kuminga wanted a max deal from the Warriors. Fast forward to now, and it looks like that dream is slipping away. NBA insider Anthony Slater says the Warriors aren’t ready to drop that five-year max bag on him just yet.
According to Slater, there hasn’t been much movement towards a deal. But hey, there’s still hope! Kuminga might settle for a fat paycheck that’s not quite max but still helps the team’s finances. “That doesnโt mean there isnโt a reasonable middle groundโperhaps in the $30-ish million per season range as the deadline nears,” he says. Imagine Kuminga getting a life-changing offer and the Warriors thinking itโll age well with the salary cap expected to skyrocket.
Fun Fact: Somewhere, right now, Kuminga is improving and I canโt wait to see his game next year.
โ Warriors Huddle (@WarriorsHuddle)
Extension Talks: Still No Dice
Slaterโs latest scoop also mentions that there have been some tentative extension talks, but there’s a clear divide. On the No Cap Room podcast, Jake Fischer chimed in, saying, “Jonathan Kuminga is entering the final year of his rookie deal where the word around the league from various sources is that Kuminga and his representation are looking for a full max extension.”
Fischer added, “Which, as we just talked about with BI [Brandon Ingram] and Jamal Murray, and whoever, if youโre not [an] absolute All-Star Scottie Barnes type of guy for Toronto, Lauri Markkanen for Utah, Trae Young for Atlanta back in the dayโฆ Itโs really hard to get that number. Thatโs what the agent has to do in that scenario.”
Honestly, I think Kuminga’s got potential, but max contracts are no joke. He did improve his stats last season, clocking in at 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists over 74 games. But is that max-worthy?
Brandon Ingram to the Warriors?
Now, let’s talk about Brandon Ingram. His future is one big question mark this offseason. He’s been linked to Golden State since summer, but according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole, the chances of him landing in San Francisco are “minuscule.”
Pooleโs comments trace back to the Warriors’ 2020 trade for Kelly Oubre Jr. โIn the eight years since [Kevin Durant] departed, the Oubre deal is the only individual move made under the theory that it alone would be enough to keep the Warriors among the contenders. Every move since, including the addition of Chris Paul last summer, was made to supplement the roster rather than expand its core,โ he explained.
Could Ingram be the missing piece? Only time will tell. But man, wouldn’t it be wild to see him in a Warriors jersey?
Alright, folks, what do you think? Is Kuminga worth the max, or should the Warriors play it safe? And will Ingram ever make his way to the Bay? Drop your thoughts below!
