Jonathan Kuminga's Future Receives Reality Check From Warriors Executive

   

The Golden State Warriors are in an interesting position this NBA offseason with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga still sitting on the market. The team has openly explored sign-and-trade options in hopes of finding Kuminga a new team, but as potential suitors drop out of the race, their options are getting slim, and a reunion feels more likely.

Jonathan Kuminga's Future Receives Reality Check From Warriors Executive

However, Kuminga is reportedly wanting a new contract in the range of $30 million per year, and the Warriors are not willing to go that far.

"Kuminga’s camp want a big deal in the $30M+ range and don’t want to be back with Warriors," ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel posted on X (formerly Twitter). "Golden State wants a small deal in $20M range where they can flip him because there’s no market."

In a recent interview with Spotrac's Keith Smith, an anonymous Warriors executive got honest about Kuminga's future with the team, hitting him with a reality check of the financial impact and the franchise having to stay responsible.

 

"We’re trying to be responsible. 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," the Warriors executive said.

Apr 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) handles the ball against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter of game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Warriors are certainly not going to hand out around $30 million per year to a player who head coach Steve Kerr benched entirely heading into the postseason, and the 22-year-old forward would be lucky to get that kind of money anywhere he went. At this point, the most likely scenario remains that the two sides will agree on a lower price for him to return to Golden State, for now.