Warriors ‘Don’t Want’ Jonathan Kuminga Amid Contract Rumors

The Golden State Warriors’ decision to extend a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga was more based on RFA rules than a desire to keep the forward in the Bay Area, according to The Athletic’s Eric Koreen.

“The Warriors don’t want Kuminga, and Kuminga doesn’t want to be in The Bay,” Koreen stated Thursday for The Athletic. “Yet, the Warriors weren’t willing to forgo extending him a qualifying offer.”

Koreen went on to compare the Warriors making that offer to a business “protecting the asset” rather than a team believing in its player. He believes veteran players “deserve an extra smidgen of leverage.”

Warriors Felt Obligated To Extend Qualifying Offer To Jonathan Kuminga

Koreen makes an interesting point, as all four restricted free agents this summer remain unsigned: Golden State’s Kuminga, Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas, Philadelphia’s Quentin Grimes, and Chicago’s Josh Giddey.

Under NBA rules, RFA-eligible players who aren’t coming off a rookie contract or two-way deal are eligible for a qualifying offer worth 135% of their previous season’s salary.

This allowed the Warriors to extend a one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer to Kuminga in June. Some might think Golden State took away the chance for Kuminga to get that payday elsewhere, but that hasn’t been the case.

Per ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, the Warriors have discussed a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, but Kuminga rejected a four-year, $90 million deal with a player option in the final year.

While it was not specified which team made that offer, Charania and Slater noted that the Suns have “made the most lucrative push” for Kuminga thus far.

Kuminga Declined A Two-Year, $45 Million Deal

The Suns’ offer includes Royce O’Neale, Nick Richards, and four second-round picks. The Kings, meanwhile, have mentioned Devin Carter, Dario Saric, and Malik Monk in trade talks, per Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

Charania later reported on NBA Today that Sacramento has recently offered Golden State a conditional first-round pick and a rotation player, but the Dubs are still holding out for an unprotected first-round pick.

Charania and Slater also revealed that Kuminga “is continuing to decline” an offer of $45 million over two years.

“Kuminga’s decision is due in large part to the Warriors’ insistence on having a team option for the second season and their unwillingness to let him maintain the built-in no-trade clause, sources said,” Charania and Slater wrote.