The Golden State Warriors are lower than two weeks away from coaching camp they usually have nonetheless but to succeed in an settlement with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga in a prolonged negotiation course of. And with the younger ahead unwilling to signal onto any of the three reported presents from the Warriors, he and his camp at the moment are utilizing their largest supply of leverage to probably get a deal executed: the qualifying supply.
Kuminga’s agent instructed ESPN that Kuminga is keen to take the qualifying supply, which ties him to Golden State for one yr at a $7.9 million price ticket and permits him to grow to be an unrestricted free agent subsequent offseason.
“He’ll take the QO,” agent Aaron Turner mentioned on “The Hoop Collective.” “But when he is handled pretty, and in our thoughts that is flipping [team option] to [player option], he is again, after which we do not have to speak concerning the QO. However the QO is actual. It is one thing that JK needs to take. It does have upside. You are not getting traded. You are going to have unrestricted free company.”
Jonathan Kuminga contract: Warriors ahead rejects newest supply from entrance workplace in stalemate, per report
Robby Kalland
The crew and participant choices Turner referenced are the primary level of competition in Kuminga’s negotiations. The younger ahead needs a participant choice on the again finish of his deal, allowing him to wager on himself as a free agent in a extra favorable market. The Warriors have to date been unwilling to incorporate that in his long-term contract, settling just for a crew choice.
“He needs to choose the place he needs to go and the chance to be an unrestricted free agent in a manner higher market,” mentioned Turner. “So the QO is actual, for positive. It is being thought-about utterly. It is being talked about. … Nevertheless it’s not one thing anyone needs to do.”
The Warriors made a concession so as to add a 3rd yr to their newest supply, however Kuminga didn’t budge and rejected the proposal due to the crew choice for 12 months 3. That provide is the third of three separate frameworks the Warriors reportedly placed on the desk.
Kuminga’s most profitable alternative is that three-year, $75.2 million take care of a third-year crew choice. If he’s unwilling to lock himself in for 3 years, he might take a two-year, $45 million take care of a crew choice for the second yr. There’s additionally a 3rd supply that features no choices however pays Kuminga a a lot decrease wage over a three-year, $54 million deal.
Turner made it clear that Kuminga’s finish purpose shouldn’t be essentially to depart Golden State however to permit himself the flexibleness to take action if one other crew presents him a bigger, extra assured function. The previous first-round choose made simply 10 begins throughout 47 video games final season and has by no means began greater than 46 video games in a marketing campaign regardless of his manufacturing. Kuminga averaged 16.1 factors per recreation and shot 52.9% from the sector in 2024 earlier than dipping to fifteen.3 factors on 45.4% final yr.
