THE SOAP OPERA CONTINUES!
Well, well, well. Here we are again, folks, trapped in another thrilling episode of “Will They or Won’t They: Warriors Edition.” But this time, it’s not about whether Steph will hit another impossible three or if Draymond will get ejected before halftime. No, this is the Jonathan Kuminga Show, and brother, it’s messier than a Chipotle burrito eaten while driving.
Tim Kawakami just dropped some intel that’s got Dub Nation buzzing louder than a broken air conditioner in July. According to his piece in the SF Standard, “The word I got when I checked in with a Warriors source on Sunday: Kuminga won’t be traded this summer. He’ll be back on the Warriors’ roster to start the season. And it’ll either come when he signs the Warriors’ offer or accepts the $7.9 million one-year qualifying offer.”
The Warriors unenthusiastically engaged in a few sign-and-trade discussions, but a source says they’re now out on those talks and that Jonathan Kuminga will be on the team this season.
What this means and also my simple compromise proposal.https://t.co/ewdJ3d14hz
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) August 4, 2025
Ouch. That’s not exactly the warm fuzzy feeling you want when you’re a 21-year-old with lottery pick expectations and a contract situation that’s more complicated than assembling IKEA furniture without the instructions.
Let’s be brutally honest here… this whole situation feels like watching paint dry, except the paint keeps changing colors and nobody knows what the final result is supposed to look like.
Here’s the thing about JK that drives me absolutely bonkers: the talent is there. It’s right there, staring us all in the face like a neon sign in Vegas. The athleticism, the flashes of brilliance, the moments where you think “Daaaamn, this kid could be special.” But after four years we’re still not sure what we have with hi.
The front office isn’t panicking, they’re not rushing, and they’re certainly not throwing money at a problem that might solve itself with time and development.
A quick (and belated) follow-up on the Jonathan Kuminga reporting from Friday: Anyone saying the first-round pick protections are the only obstacle to a Kings-Warriors sign-and-trade is wrong, as I’m told Golden State really doesn’t want to move either Buddy Hield or Moses Moody…
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) August 4, 2025
But here’s where it gets spicy: this isn’t just about Kuminga anymore. This is about the Warriors’ championship window, their salary cap flexibility, and whether they believe this young core can actually contribute to title number five. Every day they wait is another day closer to tough decisions about guys like Wiggins, about the luxury tax, about whether this dynasty has one more run left in it.
Look, I’ve been watching this team long enough to know when they’re serious about a player and when they’re just being polite. Remember Jacob Evans? Remember Jordan Bell? Remember the parade of “potential” that marched through Chase Center before actually contributing?
Kuminga isn’t those guys, but he’s not Steph Curry either. He’s somewhere in that maddening middle ground where you can see the ceiling but you’re not sure if he’s got the ladder to reach it.
This saga isn’t ending anytime soon, which means we’re all buckled in for more months of “Will he or won’t he?” content. Kuminga’s got the talent to make this whole discussion look ridiculous in hindsight, or he’s got the inconsistency to make the Warriors look smart for not committing.
Either way, it’s going to be one hell of a ride.