Jonathan Kuminga Keeps Rejecting Golden State’s Two-Year, $45 Million Proposal
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Restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has again turned down the Golden State Warriors’ two-year, $45 million contract offer, league sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
The proposed deal includes a team option for the second season and would require Kuminga to waive an inherent no-trade clause, conditions the 22-year-old forward views as unacceptable, according to sources.
The search for alternatives
Agent Aaron Turner met twice with Golden State’s front office during summer league in Las Vegas, pitching multiple scenarios, including a three-year package worth roughly $82 million that would keep the Warriors below the second apron and preserve access to the taxpayer mid-level exception.
Throughout July, Turner and Kuminga have pursued sign-and-trade possibilities. Talks with the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns have produced frameworks approaching four years and $90 million, complete with a player option in the final season, sources said. Phoenix has presented the largest guaranteed figure, nearly $70 million more than Golden State’s offer.
Warriors push back on sign-and-trade
Golden State has rejected the trade returns proposed by Sacramento and Phoenix and has recently indicated it may shut down sign-and-trade discussions entirely, sources added. Team officials now signal Kuminga will be on the roster when the season opens—either under the two-year offer on the table or via his $7.9 million one-year qualifying offer.
Control at the center of standoff
Kuminga favors the longer commitments from the Kings and Suns, believing they promise a starting role, clearer responsibilities and greater control over his career. He is also wary of head coach Steve Kerr’s comments after the Jimmy Butler trade, which suggested difficulty finding consistent minutes for Kuminga alongside Butler, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Imagem: espn.com
The Warriors argue their proposal is the most lucrative in the short term, featuring a $21.7 million first-year salary versus $19.8 million in rival offers. The structure is designed to be tradable after Jan. 15, and any acquiring team could decline the option and negotiate an extension.
Golden State is alone among NBA clubs without an offseason addition, a status tied directly to the unresolved negotiations with Kuminga.
Qualifying-offer option looms
Because NBA rules grant an implied no-trade clause on a one-plus-one deal without Bird rights, the Warriors want Kuminga to waive that protection—mirroring D’Angelo Russell’s agreement with the Lakers in 2023. Refusing to do so could push Kuminga toward accepting the qualifying offer, sacrificing nearly $14 million next season but giving him unrestricted free agency at age 23. He has until Oct. 1 to decide.
Source: ESPN
