The Chicago Bulls remain linked to a possible sign-and-trade for Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, but an unavoidable obstacle is complicating matters.
Chicago Sports Network’s K.C. Johnson reported on the issue, and just where things stand on the long-rumored interest by the Bulls in the former No. 7 overall pick of the 2021 draft and NBA champion, Kuminga, as rumors “will not go away.”
So far, there has not been much traction circulating either.
“I’m here to tell you that I have not heard any traction on a sign-and-trade deal to the Bulls. That’s not to say it won’t happen. I’m just saying that I have not heard it, and I want to bore you with a little CBA minutia here. There’s a thing called base-year compensation. It sounds very boring, because it is,” Johnson said on “The Fastbreak” on July 1.
“If Jonathan Kuminga signs a large deal in a sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors – let’s just say $25 million for a starting salary – he counts fo $25 million going out to the team that he’s being traded to, and the Warriors can only take half that salary back in a trade. That would be $12.5 million, if my math’s correct. So, there goes the [Nikola] Vucevic contract. Does not fit in a base-year compensation trade with Jonathan Kuminga.” Coby White could fit, but I would be surprised if the Bulls trade Coby White for Jonathan Kuminga. So again, we’ll see where this goes, but that’s where things stand.”
Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists with the Warriors during the 2024-25 regular season.
Speculation over Kuminga possibly landing with the Bulls has been persistent.
“The Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are two teams to monitor as potential sign-and-trade candidates for Kuminga, league sources told HoopsHype,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto wrote on June 16, noting a return to Golden State is not out of the question.
Bulls Subject to NBA ‘Artifact’ Rule in Jonathan Kuminga
GettyJonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Chicago Bulls.
A sign-and-trade is actually the only instance where base year compensation even exists in the NBA. That leaves Kuminga, the Bulls, and the Warriors subject to a relatively unimpactful rule.
“Base Year Compensation (BYC) is mostly an artifact of previous collective bargaining agreements. Its intent was to prevent teams from signing free agents to new contracts with salaries specifically intended to help facilitate trades. BYC was triggered when a team was over the cap and re-signed a player using the Larry Bird or Early Bird exception with a raise over 20%,” NBA Salary Cap FAQ’s Larry Coon wrote.
“The 2011 CBA mostly eliminated BYC — in fact, the term “Base Year Compensation” was removed from the agreement entirely. The rules formerly known as BYC now apply under just one circumstance — during sign-and-trade transactions.”
Kuminga is coming off a four-year, $24.8 million contract.
Kuminga is also a restricted free agent this offseason. That means the Warriors can match any offer sheet that he signs with another team, such as the Bulls, within 48 hours.
Bulls Sign-&-Trade for Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga May Be Dead in Water
GettyJonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors in action against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs.
The situation is hardly dire for the Bulls to complete a trade with the Warriors for Kuminga, who turns 23 in October. It remains a challenging transaction to complete, though.
The Warriors would be a tax team – but below the second apron – following the “sign” portion of the deal. So, they could accept 110% of Kuminga’s outgoing salary. That is, rather than the $125% plus 100,000 a non-taxpayer can take back.
They can also include up to two minimum contracts to facilitate the deal.
However, the Bulls would need to send out at least $20 million in salary. That would run afoul of the Warriors’ restrictions in Johnson’s scenario.
Even with the rules allowing teams to include minimum salaries, the math for the Bulls completing a sign-and-trade for Kuminga appears unworkable without a third team getting involved.
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