Restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga remains locked in a contract standoff with the Warriors nearly two months after free agency opened, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The Warriors been unwilling to offer Kuminga more than $45MM over two years, according to Fischer, who says Golden State has also been “unwavering” in its stance that the contract would feature a second-year team option and would require Kuminga to waive his right to veto trades.
Echoing previous reporting by Anthony Slater of ESPN, sources tell Fischer that Kuminga and agent Aaron Turner are looking for more long-term security and haven’t shown any interest to this point in the Warriors’ proposal, viewing it as an easy way for the team to trade him during the season.
To drive home that point, Fischer states that Golden State discussed sending Kuminga to Phoenix ahead of the February trade deadline when the Warriors were pursuing Kevin Durant, who essentially nixed the deal. Durant was later traded from the Suns to the Rockets.
According to Fischer, the Warriors have been “discouraging” sign-and-trade scenarios for Kuminga after previous proposals from the Kings and Suns failed to meet the team’s asking price.
While accepting his $7.98MM qualifying offer would cost Kuminga a substantial amount of short-term money, it would also put him in a better position to dictate his future, since it comes with a no-trade clause for 2025/26 and the ability to reach unrestricted free agency next summer. As Fischer writes, Kuminga could reasonably view offseason interest from Sacramento, Phoenix and Chicago as an encouraging sign for his potential market in 2026.
Signing the QO, which has a deadline of Oct. 1, would undoubtedly be risky for Kuminga, but it might be even riskier for the Warriors, Fischer notes, since they don’t want to lose the former No. 7 overall pick for nothing.