Jonathan Cuminga and the Golden State Warriors discussed during the offseason to try and resolve his limited, free agency situation.
The franchise offered him a two-year, $45 million extension, but Jonathan Cuminga refused the deal because he didn’t include player options in his final year.
His athleticism and game are highly regarded around the league, so teams like the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings have even offered him trade.
However, the Golden State Warriors refused packages from both of these teams as they did not include the first round pick.
It was reported that players may consider taking the qualifying offer.
The Warriors drafted Kuminga with their seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft, and have since released some impressive performances for them.
Their owner, Joe Lacob, is said to be a fan of his game and wants to put him on the roster, so the Warriors have rejected their offer to Kuminga.
With Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, Warriors Core doesn’t have much of a year left, and someone needs to move forward with the franchise.
However, they are also reluctant to offer him a massive deal due to restrictions on the new collective bargaining agreement.
The exchange has been underway for months and athletic Marcus Thompson II said Cumina might end with “blinking first.”
He said: “You have to believe that Cuminga will blink first. It seems good to say he will sign a qualifying offer, but in reality it seems difficult to do something $14 million less than a table deal.
“I know that Kuminga has principles, but that’s a lot of money to pass in the name of principles. I understand why he doesn’t want to make a team-friendly deal.
Reports show that the Warriors’ decision to maintain Kuminga is to use him as a trade asset in the coming months.
His athleticism will certainly be a bonus in the star player’s trade package. That’s one of the reasons players don’t want to go back to warriors.
The 22-year-old Kuminga has already had championship experience and has played important games in the playoffs. He is one of the few players the Warriors can turn to after the core group led by the NBA curry part.
| season | point | rebound |
| 2024-25 | 15.3 | 4.6 |
| 2023-24 | 16.1 | 4.8 |
| 2022-23 | 9.9 | 3.4 |
Athletic added: “Kuminga is the last important piece to use to build around the core. Kuminga’s signature remains in the game.
“That’s why raising the dollar figure doesn’t hurt them much, even if you don’t think Cuminga is worth that much. If you sign him for two years for $50 million, that’s better than losing him anything.”
The Warriors postponed offseason plans and made a decision on Kuminga.
Players like Al Horford, Gary Payton II and De’anthony Melton are waiting to sign with the Warriors once the Cuminga situation is resolved.
The Warriors will likely need to provide players with options to keep Kuminga, but if they don’t continue to decide not to do that, he can bet on himself and receive an offer of eligibility.