The Golden State Warriors have resolved their longest offseason drama and added a familiar name to their roster in the process.
Just hours after forward Jonathan Kuminga agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract to return, the Warriors moved swiftly to secure a one-year deal with Seth Curry, reuniting him with his brother, Stephen Curry, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Seth’s contract is expected to be for the veteran’s minimum. The signing fills the Warriors’ 15th roster spot as training camp resumes Wednesday.
Seth Curry’s Shooting Boost
Seth Curry, 34, is coming off a career-best shooting season with the Charlotte Hornets. He connected on 45.6% of his 3-point attempts, narrowly edging Stephen Curry’s single-season high of 45.5% set in 2011-12.
While Seth’s efficiency was elite, it came in limited minutes — averaging just 2.7 attempts per game in 15.6 minutes off the bench. Now entering his 13th NBA season and his 10th different team, Seth is expected to reprise a second-unit role as a shooter and floor-spacer, addressing Golden State’s struggles in the non-Stephen Curry minutes last season.
The Warriors hope a bench core featuring Kuminga, Seth Curry, and midseason addition Jimmy Butler‘s minutes staggered with the second unit can provide consistent firepower whenever their star guard rests.
Salary Cap Juggling Act
Golden State’s roster moves come with tight financial maneuvering. ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks reported that Kuminga’s first-year salary is $22.5 million, and the Warriors are just $2 million below the punitive second apron.
That leaves little flexibility to use their $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception. If veteran forward Al Horford receives the full exception, Seth Curry’s deal would need to be delayed until Nov. 11. For the meantime, the Warriors are signing him to an Exhibit 9 deal, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, to have him for the training camp. But the Warriors will have to waive him before the season tips off and then re-sign him again on Nov. 11
Despite the cap squeeze, Golden State’s immediate roster is set. Kuminga now becomes the team’s fourth-highest paid player, trailing only Stephen Curry ($59.6 million), Butler ($54.1 million), and Draymond Green ($25.9 million).
Curry Sends Message to Kuminga
Getty Jonathan Kuminga watches Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors do his “Night Night” celebration.
At media day on Monday, Stephen Curry addressed Kuminga’s return and set expectations for the 22-year-old forward.
“This is definitely in the hard conversation category, but when he comes and he’s here, he should be a professional and do exactly what he expects to do, and take advantage of his opportunities to help us win everybody who’s in the locker room,” Curry told reporters. “That’s what you’re committed to doing. So I don’t have any concerns that he’ll approach it that way, and that’s what we expect.”
Kuminga, who has battled inconsistent playing time under coach Steve Kerr, will be trade-eligible beginning Jan. 15. His future remains uncertain as the Warriors weigh whether to keep him or seek a trade before the deadline.
Role Still in Question
Kuminga’s relationship with Kerr has been tested over the past two seasons. An ankle sprain derailed his breakout campaign, and Butler’s midseason arrival further cut into his role.
Kerr left him out of the playoff rotation until injuries to Butler and Stephen Curry forced a change. Kuminga responded by averaging 24.3 points on 55.4% shooting, including 38.9% from deep, in the final four games of Golden State’s second-round series loss to Minnesota.
“I’ve been asked to win,” Kerr told The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami in May. “And right now, he’s not a guy who I can say, I’m going to play 38 minutes with the roster we have — Steph, Jimmy, and Draymond — and put the puzzle together that way and expect to win.”
Kerr is expected to provide more clarity on Kuminga’s role later this week as the Warriors shift their focus from contract disputes to preparing for another title push.
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