Jonathan Kuminga has until October 1 to decide on the qualifying offer from the Warriors. A very short duration between now and then means the window is closing on Kuminga to potentially sign an extension with the Warriors that facilitates a sign-and-trade.
Since Kuminga has clarified on several occasions that he does not see a future with the Warriors, the Golden State front office is reportedly looking to maximize his trade value and is rumored to have reopened negotiations with the Sacramento Kings.
According to Sam Amick, the NBA Insider for The Athletic, the Warriors have reopened trade talks with the Kings after initially shutting the door on all offers for Kuminga. But a major concern that remains for the Warriors’ front office is Malik Monk.
“Several obstacles to a deal remain, most notably the fact that the Warriors’ interest in Monk appears to be quite muted. His contract is the primary issue, as he has a player option for the 2027-28 season worth $21.5 million that does not fit with the Warriors’ future flexibility plans. There are concerns about his fit on the team as well.”
“If they did take him on, team sources said it’s likely Golden State would look to trade him elsewhere. The problem with that path, however, is that there’s no clarity as to whether that would be possible anytime soon,” wrote Amick.
Until a few days ago, the Warriors did not want to send Kuminga to the Kings for fear of an All-Star leap. Now, there seems to be a difference of opinion between the front office, players, and the ownership of the Warriors.
While Joe Lacob is reportedly a big fan of Kuminga and wants to retain him and rehabilitate him back onto the team, the front office seems to be making last-ditch efforts to find another destination for him. Even veteran players on the team reportedly want them to retain Kuminga.
All of this started due to a rift between Kuminga and the coaching staff, but now, the way the Warriors’ front office has handled this situation so far, it seems they have realized how they mismanaged the situation and lost leverage.
They are now left with two options: either they let Kuminga go for an undesirable trade package, or they retain him and let him walk as an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Despite averaging career-high numbers in 2023-24, Kuminga lost his starting spot to Buddy Hield and Andrew Wiggins. After Jimmy Butler arrived, it was almost cemented that Kuminga had fallen out of the rotation for the Warriors.
That is why he played only 47 games (10 starts) in 2024-25 after starting 46 games in the previous year alone. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 30.5% from three-point range in 2024-25.
If he joins a coaching staff like the Kings’ that would trust him much more with the ball, do you think Jonathan Kuminga could take a major leap in production? And where do you think he lands if the Warriors trade him? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
