Kuminga to skip Warriors media day as contract talks stall
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SAN FRANCISCO — Restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga will not attend the Golden State Warriors’ media day on Monday as negotiations on a new deal remain at a standstill, according to league sources.
Kuminga stayed home this weekend instead of traveling to San Francisco, and there is no indication he will join the team before its first practice on Tuesday. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke with Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, on Sunday, but the conversation failed to move the sides closer to an agreement.
Three offers still on the table
The Warriors have kept three proposals open, sources said: a two-year, $45 million contract with a team option for the final season; a three-year, $75.2 million deal that also contains a team option in the last year; and a three-year, $54 million package with no team option. Kuminga’s camp has pushed back against any contract that includes a team option without an increase in salary and has asked the club to consider adding a player option as a gesture of goodwill after what it describes as years of uncertainty about his role.
Qualifying-offer deadline looms
Kuminga’s primary leverage is a one-year, $8 million qualifying offer that expires Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Accepting it would cost him $15.3 million in immediate earnings but would grant an implicit no-trade clause and position him for unrestricted free agency in 2026, when at least 10 teams are projected to have cap room. That scenario would leave Golden State at risk of losing the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA draft for no return.
Team officials remain adamant about excluding a player option from any long-term deal and expect Kuminga either to accept one of their offers or play on the qualifying offer. Sign-and-trade discussions with the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings have stalled, according to sources.
Roster moves on hold
The impasse has slowed other offseason business. Veteran center Al Horford reached a multiyear agreement with the Warriors on Sunday, his agent Jason Glushon confirmed, but the final contract value hinges on the Kuminga resolution, preventing Horford from signing or practicing. Agreements with guards Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton are also in place, though their participation in Tuesday’s practice is uncertain.
Golden State has 13 players under contract after signing second-round pick Will Richard. The organization plans for Kuminga to occupy the 14th spot and has had preliminary talks with guard Seth Curry about becoming the 15th, contingent on staying below the second apron of the luxury tax.
The Warriors open training camp Tuesday without clarity on the future of one of their most promising young players.
Source: ESPN
