{"id":152839,"date":"2025-07-30T16:07:46","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T20:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=152839"},"modified":"2025-07-30T16:07:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T20:07:46","slug":"explaining-warriors-jonathan-kuminga-rfa-stalemate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/07\/30\/explaining-warriors-jonathan-kuminga-rfa-stalemate\/","title":{"rendered":"Explaining Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga\u2019s RFA Stalemate"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Golden State Warriors and restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga<\/a>\u2019s stalemate may not end anytime soon.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the 2021 No. 7 pick is \u201ccontinuing to decline<\/a> their two-year, $45 million contract offer,\u201d according to ESPN senior insider Shams Charania. This is primarily because of the Warriors\u2019 \u201cinsistence on having a team option for the second season and their unwillingness to let him maintain the built-in no-trade clause.\u201d To that point, Kuminga doesn\u2019t want to give \u201ctoo much control to a franchise he believes has stunted and strung his career along.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that in mind, he views Kerr \u201cas someone who has made it clear there is not a defined big-minute opportunity for him every night with the Warriors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Explaining Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga\u2019s RFA Stalemate<\/h2>\n

Kuminga\u2019s representation has approached Golden State with \u201ca three-year deal worth around $82 million that allowed the Warriors to stay below the second apron to use the taxpayer midlevel exception.\u201d This would obviously give him a bump in salary and an extra year of security. However, it would also keep him under team control for an additional year.<\/p>\n

As it turns out, Golden State has \u201cbegun signaling a plan to cut off sign-and-trade conversations entirely… Their current stance is that Kuminga will be on the Warriors’ roster to begin next season — either through their two-year offer on the table or the standing $7.9 million one-year qualifying offer, whichever is Kuminga’s preferred path.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Jonathan
Dec 25, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) dribbles against the Los Angeles Lakers during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This strong arm tactic isn\u2019t devoid of benefit for Kuminga.<\/p>\n

In the Warriors\u2019 view, they \u201cbelieve they have the best offer on the table for Kuminga because of the highest starting salary ($21.7 million next season compared to $19.8 million elsewhere).\u201d He would be their fourth-highest paid player, the optics perhaps assuaging his feeling of being undervalued. Additionally, their offer \u201cis purposefully structured to be tradable come Jan. 15\u2026 it would allow his next team to decline the team option and extend him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Right Player, Wrong Team?<\/h3>\n

It isn\u2019t unusual for a player who was drafted in the top-10 to fail to make the right mark with his first team. Even if they don\u2019t descend into bust territory, they can fall below expectations just by being the wrong fit. Such is the case for Kuminga, whose skillset has left him looking like a square peg in a round hole<\/a>. A downhill scorer with tunnel vision and jump shooting limitations, he simply doesn\u2019t click well with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr\u2019s offensive philosophy.<\/p>\n

Yet, if looking at Kuminga outside the context of how he looks in Golden State\u2019s system, he\u2019s a much more attractive player.<\/p>\n

\n

Jonathan Kuminga vs Phoenix Suns on December 28th, 2024:<\/p>\n

34 POINTS (Career-High)
\n9 Rebounds
\n3 Assists
\n1 Steal<\/p>\n

12-20 FG
\n2-5 3PT pic.twitter.com\/uKmF6MbVZe<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 mo\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddf4 (@easymoneyyMo) July 18, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n