After months of offseason negotiations, the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have agreed on a deal to keep him in the Bay Area. The young star signed a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension with a team option in the second year in 2026-27.
News of the deal came just a day before the deadline for the two parties to agree, and ends what was one of the leading storylines in the NBA over the summer. But while Kuminga is now under contract with the Warriors, it doesn’t offer a true, concrete answer as to what his future holds.
Despite the extension, Kuminga’s future isn’t set in stone with Golden State, especially after the damage he did over the offseason to get the deal he wanted. The Warriors could still trade the young star at the February deadline if things don’t start according to plan.
“Now, both sides understand the likelihood of exploring trades when Kuminga is eligible to be moved in mid-January,” Shams Charania of ESPN wrote. “As part of the deal, he is waiving his inherent no-trade clause.”
Kuminga wanted more money in a deal offered by Golden State. But in doing that, he could have jeopardized his long-term future with the team. If both parties had wanted to come to an agreement earlier, they likely could have, but the months-long stalemate may have strained his relationship with the franchise going forward.
Kuminga Deal Gets Done, But At What Cost?
Kuminga had multiple offers on the table from Golden State. One was a three-year, $75 million deal, but the 22-year-old wanted all the financial flexibility he could get in hopes of landing an even bigger extension in a year or two.
Instead, he took a ‘1+1‘ offer from the team that drafted him, giving himself both money now and the ability to make more soon if his performance escalates drastically.
Ahead of Wednesday’s qualifying offer deadline, Kuminga chose the two-year deal over a proposal of three years and $75 million so he can maintain a higher level of control over his immediate Warriors future,” Charania added. “Kuminga and his side wanted a player option throughout the negotiations, or a higher annual salary with a team option, requests that were denied by the Warriors.”
Kuminga will make roughly $23.3 million next season, and if on the Warriors or not, has a team option for about $25 million in 2026-27.
While he got close to the type of deal he was looking for, his future is nowhere close to being set in stone in the Bay Area.
“Tuesday’s news is likely only going to serve as a temporary Band-Aid. Kuminga can still be moved before this season’s February trade deadline and all the issues that became apparent over the summer between player and team still linger,” Nick Friedell wrote for The Athletic. “What happens the first time Kuminga doesn’t like the minutes he’s getting? What happens if he remains frustrated with the role Kerr has for him? Does he actually want to be here long term?”
Kuminga is now under contract with the Warriors for next season, but it in no way guarantees he’ll still be there by the trade deadline.
Warriors Going Forward
Kuminga’s short-term future is now spoken for, as he will begin preseason workouts with Golden State and re-acclimate with the team. But at the same time he’ll rejoin teammates Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green, the front office could be taking calls for trades.
Writing for Bleacher Report, Andy Bailey highlighted multiple teams that he expects will have their eyes on Kuminga in the upcoming season. One of which he discussed was the Sacramento Kings, who held the young wing in high regard and were a top potential trade candidate throughout the summer.
While they are just one of the many teams that could target Kuminga, Bailey believes a breakup is coming.
Kuminga and the Warriors, even after today’s deal, seem destined for a breakup. The partnership never had the heartwarming reconciliation at the end of just about every romcom. It’s been almost entirely conflict,” he wrote. “And maintaining that tension (assuming Kuminga can’t suddenly sell coach Steve Kerr on his value) is far from ideal in Stephen Curry’s age-37 season.”
If he plays well, it only brings more value for Golden State in a potential trade. If he doesn’t, the front office will likely figure out a new plan.
But for the time being, the Warriors have somewhat fixed what was their biggest issue of the offseason. In turn, they signed all the players many expected them to: Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton Jr., and Seth Curry.
Things don’t look to be completely done with the Kuminga-Warriors saga, and most of the franchise seems to understand that. After multiple championship runs, each with its fair share of strife, Curry knows the cost of doing business in the NBA.
“You got to take the good with the chaos,” Curry said.
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