Outside of the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, a third team entered the Jonathan Kuminga sweepstakes, ClutchPoint’s Brett Siegel reports, before the Golden State Warriors shut down all sign-and-trade talks.
“It is also worth mentioning that the Milwaukee Bucks were another team that kicked around the idea of pursuing Kuminga. If they were to do so, the Warriors made it known they would want Bobby Portis in a sign-and-trade scenario, which is something Milwaukee wasn’t willing to do,” Siegel wrote. “The Dubs have held interest in Portis dating back to before the 2024 NBA trade deadline.”
Portis re-signed with the Bucks earlier this offseason for three years worth $44 million, with a player option for the 2027-28 season. He is not eligible to be traded until after training camp.
Getty The Golden State Warriors eyed Bobby Portis in a sign-and-trade for Jonathan Kuminga.
Before he re-signed with the Bucks, NBA insider Jake Fischer linked the veteran stretch big man to the Warriors.
“Golden State has always been a team to monitor for Portis, who has a notable fan in head coach Steve Kerr from their shared days during the 2023 FIBA World Cup competition with USA Basketball,” Fischer wrote on “The Stein Line” newsletter on Substack on June 11.
The 30-year-old forward-center was on the Warriors’ radar at the trade deadline before they acquired Jimmy Butler.
A sign-and-trade with Kuminga on the two-year, $45 million deal the Warriors have been offering would have worked.
But the Bucks are not inclined to part ways with Portis, who is a beloved icon in Milwaukee after finding his footing there as their Sixth Man during their NBA championship run in 2021.
Kuminga Incommunicado
GettyJonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors have not had contact since July.
Previously, the Suns have offered the Warriors Royce O’Neale, Nick Richards and all their available second-round picks on top of the four-year, $90 million offer to Kuminga. On the other hand, the Kings initially offered Devin Carter, Dario Saric and two second-round picks before improving it to Malik Monk and a protected first-round pick on top of their three-year, $63 million offer to Kuminga.
But the Warriors didn’t budge.
There is no end in sight to the stalemate that has held hostage the Warriors’ offseason.
Kuminga and the Warriors “haven’t had contact for a couple of weeks,” according to Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard, citing a source with knowledge of the situation.
They Warriors remain the the only team that has not added a player with league experience this offseason. They remain firm on standing offer of a two-year, $45 million contract with a team option on the second year remains. The deal on the table also includes a stipulation that Kuminga relinquishes the inherent no-trade clause.
But Kuminga wants a player option on the second year of the deal.
The 22-year-old forward refuses to accept the Warriors’ standing offer because he doesn’t want to cede full control of his future to a team he believes had stunted his growth, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater.
Joe Lacob’s Son Leaves Warriors
Getty (R-L) Laurie Lacob, Kent Lacob, Kelly Lacob and Kayei Lacob arrive at the premiere of ‘The Hot Flashes’ at ArcLight Cinemas on June 27, 2013 in Hollywood, California.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob’s son Kent Lacob has quit the team, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reports.
After climbing the ranks to become the Warriors’ vice president of basketball development, the younger Lacob has stepped down in what his father described as a ballsy move.
“Well, that took some balls,” Joe Lacob was quoted as telling his son, according to The Athletic.
The Warriors’ owner was caught off guard, but his father’s instincts took over, The Athletic report added.
But the most startling part of the story is that Kent quit without a backup plan, but was driven by his desire to get out of his father’s empire and forge his own path.
“I’m very curious about what else, what other type of perspective I can gain from stepping outside of that,” Kent told The Athletic. “I understand how it’s attractive in many ways. Yeah, it’s very comfortable. And I’m incredibly fortunate to have this. Not by my own doing. But I have stepped into a world that just put me in this situation to have all this around me. I’m incredibly grateful for it. But I also don’t think that it necessarily gives me a fully robust perspective on life and what it is that I ultimately am going to want when I, like, reflect on what I did with my life.”
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