The Jonathan Kuminga offseason drama that is keeping the Golden State Warriors hostage isn’t just about money.
According to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania, Kuminga has made it clear he wants a featured, starting role next season, something the Warriors cannot guarantee.
Two teams — the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings — have stepped up with the opportunity that Kuminga craves.
“They’re two of the more aggressive teams with Kuminga,” Charania said on “NBA Today” on July 24. “And they’re also offering him an opportunity for significant minutes, a starting caliber role in their lineup and those are two things that he wants more than anything.”
Staring Contest: Who Will Blink First?
Getty Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shakes hands with Jonathan Kuminga.
There’s just one problem.
The Warriors don’t like what’s being offered in potential sign-and-trade deals.
“So, where this is at is the Warriors do not want anything that is available to them that’s being offered in sign-and-trades,” Charania continued. “And on the other hand, with Jonathan Kuminga, he is not ready to move forward with taking any of the Warriors’ current offers.”
The 22-year-old forward believes he’s ready to spread his wings. In the final four games of last season — all losses that ended Golden State’s playoff run — Kuminga averaged 24.3 points on 55.4% shooting and 38.9% from the 3-point line.
But to head coach Steve Kerr, it’s not just about numbers — it’s about winning.
“I’ve been asked to win,” Kerr told The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami on “The TK Show” on May 21. “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 [Curry], Jimmy [Butler], and Draymond [Green], and put the puzzle together that way and expect to win.”
‘You Can’t Just Throw Money Around’
Kuminga’s stalemate with the front office has frozen the Warriors’ offseason plans. Three weeks into free agency, Golden State remains the only team that has yet to make a single move.
“We’re trying to be responsible,” an unnamed Warriors front office executive told Keith Smith of Spotrac. “With the aprons and hard caps and all of that, you can’t just throw money around. We still love Jonathan. We’re hopeful we can figure out a way to strike a balance that works for him and for us. But we’re not going to compromise our roster-building ability now, or in the future. We have to be responsible in the way we build our team.”
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, citing league sources, Kuminga’s camp is asking for a $25 million annual salary “whether that’s to stay with the Warriors or switch teams via sign-and-trade.”
The Warriors have been reluctant to meet that number, and Kuminga isn’t budging either.
“He did tell me, though, that he is in absolutely no rush on doing a deal with the Warriors right now, and he is not accepting their current offers,” Charania said. “He added that he wanted to continue to explore options with his agent, Aaron Turner, whether that’s continuing conversations with the Warriors, but also sign-and-trade options that are available to him in the marketplace.”
With no end in sight, the door to the Warriors’ offseason remains locked — and one 22-year-old is holding the keys.
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