Warriors’ $75.2M Three-Year Proposal Fails to End Jonathan Kuminga Impasse
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The contract stalemate between the Golden State Warriors and restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga remains unresolved after the team issued a new offer last week, multiple league sources told ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania.
The latest package covers three years and $75.2 million, with the third season at the club’s discretion and $48.3 million guaranteed over the first two years. The structure mirrors the annual salary recently secured by Josh Giddey in Chicago, but Giddey’s deal spans four fully guaranteed seasons; Golden State is keeping an option that would let the club trade Kuminga more easily.
Earlier this summer, the Warriors proposed two years and $45 million, also with a team option and a request that Kuminga waive his built-in no-trade clause. According to the report, the only Golden State offer without a team option has been $54 million over three years—an average of $18 million annually.
Kuminga and agent Aaron Turner have pushed for a player option, offering to accept roughly $20 million per year in exchange. If the Warriors insist on a team option, the representatives believe the salary should rise to about $30 million annually, a stance Golden State has rejected.
The most recent counter from Kuminga’s camp is a one-year deal worth more than his $8 million qualifying offer. That arrangement would make the 22-year-old an unrestricted free agent next July while giving the Warriors an expiring contract to shop at the deadline. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. declined, with owner Joe Lacob reportedly unwilling to risk losing Kuminga without compensation.
Lacob has been a consistent advocate for Kuminga since the club drafted him ahead of Franz Wagner in 2021, the report states. He previously vetoed a proposed Alex Caruso trade two years ago and backed the forward even when head coach Steve Kerr removed him from the rotation last season. Despite that support, sources say Lacob has not pressured Kerr regarding playing time.
Kerr has told team officials that Kuminga would receive significant minutes if he re-signs. Kuminga’s representatives, however, point to Kerr’s playoff comments describing the forward as an imperfect fit next to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, questioning whether staying in San Francisco best serves his development.
Prior to shutting down sign-and-trade talks, Golden State fielded proposals from Phoenix and Sacramento. The Suns were prepared to pay Kuminga $80 million to $88 million over four years with a player option and send Royce O’Neale plus second-round picks to the Warriors. The Kings offered three years at $63 million to $66 million with a player option, with Malik Monk and a future first-rounder headed to Golden State. The Warriors deemed both returns insufficient.
Training camp opens in two weeks, and several other roster moves are on hold until the Kuminga matter is settled. Sources suggest Kuminga’s best chance for a resolution may be direct intervention from Lacob, either by meeting the forward’s financial terms or facilitating a move elsewhere.
Source: HoopsRumors
