The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors resumed sign-and-trade negotiations for restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga earlier this week, ending a month-long pause in talks, team sources told Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Although the latest conversation produced little tangible progress, it signals that Sacramento still hopes to acquire the 22-year-old forward. The Kings were viewed as Kuminga’s primary external suitor earlier in the offseason, having offered him a three-year, $63 million deal while proposing that Golden State receive Malik Monk and a lottery-protected 2030 first-round pick.
Warriors’ Concerns With Sacramento’s Offer
Golden State rejected the package for several reasons:
- Roster fit and salary: Team officials are skeptical about Monk’s fit and are wary of his $21.6 million player option for 2027-28. The Warriors would likely try to reroute Monk, but potential trade partners are unclear.
- Tax apron complications: A direct Kuminga-for-Monk swap would trigger base-year compensation rules, hard-capping the Warriors at the first tax apron and jeopardizing plans to use the taxpayer mid-level exception—reportedly earmarked for Al Horford.
- Additional moves required: Avoiding the hard cap could force Golden State to send Buddy Hield or Moses Moody to a third team, an option the front office is increasingly reluctant to pursue.
- Draft-pick protections: The Kings have resisted stripping protections from the 2030 first-round pick. Under current terms, if that pick lands in the lottery, the Warriors would instead receive the least favorable of the Kings’ and Spurs’ 2031 selections.
Where Kuminga’s Contract Talks Stand
Golden State has presented new offers to Kuminga, including a three-year, $75 million proposal with a team option in the third season. Agent Aaron Turner told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday that the inclusion of a team option remains a sticking point.
Turner continues to cite the $8 million qualifying offer—which carries a no-trade clause and a direct path to unrestricted free agency in 2026—as a viable fallback. Kuminga has until October 1 to accept that offer, leaving both sides roughly a week to reach a different resolution.
Source: Hoops Rumors
