When ahead Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors failed to return to phrases on a rookie scale extension final fall, Anthony Slater – working for The Athletic on the time – wrote that “it’s attainable Kuminga would’ve accepted a contract under max worth, however the Warriors by no means upped their provide (someplace close to the $30ish million per yr vary) into an interesting sufficient ballpark.”
A maximum-salary contract for Kuminga would’ve been price roughly $43MM per season on a four-year deal or almost $45MM on a five-year deal. Whereas it’s clear that the Warriors weren’t prepared to pay that value, agent Aaron Turner tweeted this week that Kuminga additionally by no means obtained or turned down a proposal price even $30MM yearly.
Showing on The Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube hyperlink) on Friday with new colleague Brian Windhorst, Slater – now employed by ESPN – primarily confirmed as a lot.
Based on Slater, whereas the 2 sides had loads of conversations a few new deal, the Warriors have been hesitant to place a concrete provide on the desk for Kuminga final fall as a result of he would have been topic to the poison tablet provision in 2024/25 if he had signed an extension they usually wished to maintain their commerce choices open.
“I believe Jalen Johnson getting 5 years, $150MM gave a goal,” Slater stated. “… I’m of the assumption – and I’ve been informed – that (Kuminga’s camp) would’ve taken 5 for $150MM if it was ever on the desk. It wasn’t on the desk.”
9 months later, after an up-and-down season through which Kuminga was restricted to 47 appearances and noticed his numbers drop in a number of statistical classes, the consensus across the NBA is that the now-restricted-free-agent’s present worth is properly under $30MM per yr.
Fred Katz of The Athletic polled 16 sources who work in rival entrance places of work to ask them what they consider a “honest” contract for Kuminga would appear to be. Their solutions, based on Katz, ranged from $17-25MM in common annual worth, with Kuminga’s largest fan within the group advocating for a five-year, $125MM deal.
Nearly all of the respondents, Katz writes, expressed {that a} three-year deal would take advantage of sense, with a lot of these rival staffers suggesting a third-year participant choice and some of them likening Kuminga’s scenario to that of Jalen Inexperienced in Houston. The previous Rockets guard signed a three-year, $105MM rookie scale extension with a third-year participant choice final fall and was traded to Phoenix earlier this month simply as that deal took impact.
“It appears like a Jalen Inexperienced-type deal that retains him tradable,” one staff official who steered a three-year, $70MM contract informed Katz. “Positively lower than he most likely desires, however the participant choice provides him some choices.”
“If I’m the agent, I’m making an attempt to get a short-term deal so I can get out of there and get elsewhere however nonetheless make some cash within the meantime,” one other respondent stated.
As Katz writes, it’s not out of the query that Kuminga would settle for his $8MM qualifying provide, which might line him as much as attain unrestricted free company in 2026. However that may symbolize a dangerous path for each the 22-year-old and the Warriors, who may badly use a participant incomes a wage within the $15-25MM vary for commerce functions. Presently, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Inexperienced – who aren’t thought of commerce candidates – are the one Golden State gamers with cap hits exceeding $11.6MM in 2025/26.
“If he takes the qualifying provide, the Warriors are f—ed from a team-building standpoint, as a result of they should get him on a deal the place they will commerce him,” one government stated. “That’s the important thing for them.”
In case you missed it, we relayed a number of of the newest rumors on Kuminga’s restricted free company in a pair of tales on Thursday.
