{"id":160986,"date":"2025-09-30T05:42:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T09:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=160986"},"modified":"2025-09-30T05:42:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T09:42:23","slug":"warriors-media-day-three-big-absences-veterans-show-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/09\/30\/warriors-media-day-three-big-absences-veterans-show-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Warriors Media Day: Three Big Absences, Veterans Show Support"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN FRANCISCO \u2014 Despite the slow ramp to training camp, Warriors<\/a> media day made headlines for who wasn\u2019t there. Jonathan Kuminga<\/a> never arrived. Neither did head coach Steve Kerr or general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. Those three absences set the tone for an unusual afternoon in San Francisco.<\/p>\n

Warriors Media Day: Three Big Absences, Veterans Show Support For Kuminga<\/h2>\n

Kuminga\u2019s Contract Cloud<\/h3>\n
\"Jonathan
May 12, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) stands on the court before a play against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kuminga skipped media day after no progress was made in negotiations with the Warriors front office. Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke with Kuminga\u2019s agent, Aaron Turner, on Sunday, but sources said no deal is close. Golden State has three offers on the table: two years for $45 million, three years for $75.2 million with a team option, or three years for $54 million without one.<\/p>\n

Kuminga has resisted deals with team options. He wants a show of trust from Golden State, preferably with a player option included. His camp has pushed the message that years of role confusion under Steve Kerr justify stronger security in this round of talks.<\/p>\n

Kuminga\u2019s greatest leverage remains the one-year, $8 million qualifying offer, which expires Wednesday night. His absence from their media day reinforced that this saga will come down to the final hours.<\/p>\n

Leadership Steps Forward<\/h3>\n

With Kerr and Dunleavy absent, the spotlight fell squarely on Golden State\u2019s veterans. The \u201cbig three\u201d of Stephen Curry<\/a>, Jimmy Butler<\/a> and Draymond Green<\/a> carried the message that the locker room still supports Kuminga.<\/p>\n

\n

Draymond couldn't have been clearer in his support of Kuminga. He told him contract negotiations get messy\/part of business. His last point was his strongest:<\/p>\n

If Kuminga signs a new deal and comes out and plays well early — people will forget about the contract negotiations.<\/p>\n

— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) September 29, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n