Shannon Sharp gave his opinion on the situation with the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga.
The 22-year-old is a restricted free agent and has been discussing an extension of his contract with the Golden State Warriors throughout the offseason.
Warriors reportedly offered Jonathan Kuminga a two-year, $45 million deal, which he refused.
Teams like the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings were interested in getting his services, but the Warriors refused to trade with them as they wanted an unprotected first-round pick in exchange for Cuminga.
He didn’t actively feature in the Warriors playoffs as he opposed Steve Kerr playing him in the rotation, as he didn’t think he could play with Steve Curry and Jimmy Butler.
Kendrick Perkins has denounced the coach for handling Kuminga, and now it appears that even Shannon Sharp agrees.
Kerr ultimately decided to return Kuminga to the rotation, and as soon as he did, Kuminga proved his worth by scoring 30 points off the bench against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs.
Kuminga and Kerr have had problems before, and players are openly talking about not being satisfied with their role.
While discussing Kuminga, Sharp expressed his opinion on what he felt led to a meltdown between the franchise and the players.
He said: “I don’t think that for him that (coming back) is (coming back) for what Carr said. I think he’s beyond that situation.”
Former NBA player Joe Johnson is also part of the podcast and described his feelings about the 2022 NBA champion.
“I don’t think there was a big market for him. It was a bit strange for him. He’s definitely a talent to help his team,” Johnson said.
Losing Kuminga is a huge hit for the Warriors in that it’s a valuable player going and gives up on assets if they want to trade for a star player.
He remains positive during all of these talks and is working on his game, but his future with the Warriors appears to be in a difficult position.
Kerr has always been limiting Kuminga’s minutes for other Warriors players, but in four years players are confident they will take the next step.
He is one of the most athletic players and is able to successfully acquire the ball, a star qualities. Kuminga says that once he is given the minutes, the warrior cannot promise him it.
They have two stars that require a ball, and bringing the Cuminga into rotation makes it difficult for them to manipulate the attack.
Once he moved to another team, the 22-year-old was able to do well under the new coach and thrive in their system.
It seems likely that Kuminga will be the route he will take as he is confident in what he can produce and will not compromise on his lower salary.