The Golden State Warriors are carefully assessing their situation with free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga. His rookie contract is set to expire this summer, and there haven’t been any reports about the Warriors’ willingness to keep Kuminga for their future. The 6-foot-8 forward has been part of potential sign-and-trade conversations with the Sacramento Kings this offseason. However, there hasn’t been an update on that end.
Kuminga wants a larger role in his next deal because he thinks he can be an NBA great. He also believes he deserves a bigger contract moving forward. According to earlier reports, the forward is looking for a contract that would allow him to earn at least $30 million per season. However, the Warriors believe he’s only worth $20 million a year.
Fortunately for the Golden State Warriors, there was an opportunity for them to make a trade with the Kings. The California-based team is looking to shop guards Malik Monk and Devin Carter.
On Tuesday, NBA insider Sam Amick revealed on the latest episode of “Warriors Plus Minus” that Golden State wasn’t interested in acquiring Carter in a deal. Even the idea of having veteran star DeMar DeRozan didn’t please the Warriors. Additionally, the Kings reportedly weren’t willing to give Kuminga a contract worth $20 million a year.
“My understanding is the Warriors weren’t interested in Carter or DeRozan. As of a couple weeks ago, the Kings weren’t willing to pay Kuminga into the $20 million range,” Amick said.
Kuminga has shown promise in his first four years in the league. He’s averaged 12.5 points, four rebounds and 1.8 assists, proving that he’s capable of being a star.
An NBA executive believes the Golden State Warriors will lose in the Kuminga situation if the forward accepts the qualifying offer
The Golden State Warriors don’t see a future with Kuminga, which is why they are looking at possibilities to trade him. However, the contract negotiation seems to be going nowhere. The Warriors want to sign him to a deal that would be easy for them to trade him, while the young forward wants to secure his future.
According to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, an anonymous NBA executive gave an honest assessment of the situation if Kuminga returns to the Warriors via the qualifying offer. Golden State has offered the 22-year-old forward a one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer on June 28,
“If he takes the qualifying offer, the Warriors are f**ked from a team-building standpoint, because they need to get him on a deal where they can trade him,” the executive said. “That’s the key for them.”
Given the lack of options this summer, Kuminga could return to the Golden State Warriors via the qualifying offer.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
