As the Golden State Warriors approach training camp, their lack of a resolution to Jonathan Kuminga's restricted free agency and, by extension, their lack of activity on the free agent market remain highly concerning.
Now, Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, has publicly said on The Hoop Collective podcast that the qualifying offer is still an option that is on the table if the Warriors' offer does not improve, which would result in Golden State losing Kuminga next offseason in unrestricted free agency.
While this is a threat that Kuminga has maintained all offseason, one that has seemed to this point largely like a bluff, the fact that Kuminga's agent is willing to threaten it this late in negotiations is seriously troubling, and, now, the Warriors may have their hands completely tied.
Jonathan Kuminga taking the qualifying offer at this stage would leave the Warriors in the dust
Throughout the offseason, Golden State's front office and Kuminga's representation have largely been held at an impasse over one key disagreement: who will carry the leverage heading into his next deal.
"There's a lot of upside," said Turner, "He wants to pick where he wants to go. So the QO is real for sure."
For trade purposes, the Warriors have held firm to their demand for a team option to be included in the deal, while Kuminga and Turner have vehemently pushed back against that, seeking for either no option or a player option to be included. Now, as the Warriors have upped their offer to three years and $75 million, the sticking point still remains the team option after the second year.
Therefore, in order to gain the leverage they wish to have, it appears as though Golden State is going to somehow need to provide Kuminga with an annual value exceeding $25 million. This would leave them potentially over the first apron before even being able to bring in any more free agents this offseason.
At the same time, they could grant him the player option he seeks, severely lessening his trade value and ultimately, perhaps, losing him in free agency if they are unable to negotiate a suitable trade once he returns to the team.
While Turner's threat to take the qualifying offer could still be just a bluff to push the front office into action, his doing so would be disastrous for the team. Not only would Kuminga become virtually untradeable, but they would have wasted the entire offseason negotiating only to be left with six empty roster spots and training camp rapidly approaching.
Therefore, while it remains to be seen whether a resolution will be found before his qualifying offer expires on October 1, any threat that there might not be one should be taken exceedingly seriously.