The Jonathan Kuminga “standoff” with the Golden State Warriors isn’t expected to end anytime soon, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Sure, there’s a deadline for Kuminga to accept his qualifying offer in just a couple of weeks, but the reality is that Kuminga’s future will be discussed for months in the event the Warriors don’t get him back on a buzzer-beater long-term offer.
The chances are slim. There was some sign-and-trade smoke earlier in the offseason, but the discussions between the Warriors and several other teams didn’t go far enough to get into the deal zone.
As a result, Kuminga is widely expected to play for the Warriors next year.
“I think, at the end of the day, Jonathan Kuminga is going to be on the Warriors,” Windhorst said recently.
Since Kuminga entered the NBA, he’s been a member of the Warriors. Going seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga has spent the past four seasons (258 games) with Golden State.
Last year, he appeared in 47 games, with 37 of those appearances coming off the bench. Kuminga produced in the ballpark of his career highs with 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.
“The most important thing, if you look at the two numbers on the bottom of the screen right now, 8 million versus over 20 million that he would be getting, is such a big number that the Warriors are betting that he’s not going to want to leave it,” Windhorst explained.
“Of course, he’s going to posture that he will leave it and take the qualifying offer, and it goes back into the stalemate. But I’m sorry to tell you, this could go on for a really long time. There’s no rule that says he has to make up his mind at the start of training camp.”
Apr 8, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Since hitting the free agency market as a restricted player, Kuminga didn’t generate an offer strong enough to force the Warriors’ hand into matching another team’s offer sheet.
Golden State reportedly put $45 million on the table for Kuminga to return for the next two seasons. The Golden State standout is seemingly interested in the salary numbers, but prefers to have a player option on the second season. Reports suggest that the Warriors want the power of an option on their side, leading to the current stalemate.
Even if Kuminga decides to simply accept the one-year offer, his future in Golden State will be a question mark all season long, leaving an opening for NBA teams to start thinking about their potential future offers.
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