The ongoing stalemate between Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors has caused plenty of frustration among fans, but there’s a potentially imminent deadline in sight that could cause a break in the deadlock between player and franchise.
Kuminga told ESPN’s Shams Charania last week that he is in no rush to sign a new deal with the Warriors as his free agency wanders toward the month of August, yet that mindset could shift quickly if nothing is forthcoming in the next two weeks.
Jonathan Kuminga is set to play in AfroBasket starting August 12
The talented young forward has been named in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s squad for the upcoming AfroBasket, starting on August 12 and to be played over two weeks in Angola.
The tournament could provide Warrior fans some relief as a potential deadline to proceedings, with history suggesting that most participants in international events like these far prefer to have their NBA contracts solidified before undertaking play.
If Kuminga was to participate at AfroBasket without a new contract in place, he would risk the impact that a potentially serious injury could have on negotiations. It’s therefore unlikely that he would take such a gamble, meaning he’d have to either sign a new NBA contract or forego representing his country this summer.
It’s a potentially significant new factor in Golden State’s leverage after their increased motivations to reach a new deal with Kuminga fell on flat ears last week. According to NBA insider Marc Stein during a report on his Substack on Monday, the Warriors have offered Kuminga a deal in the range of two-years, $40 million which would retain their flexibility to trade the 22-year-old mid-season once eligible.
Kuminga has been resistant to these types of offers so far, with his camp instead exploring sign-and-trade scenarios to destinations that could promise a starting role and the opportunity to blossom into the star he wishes to become.
The Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns have been the two teams most strongly linked to Kuminga in the last week, with Kuminga having reportedly spoken to Kings GM Scott Perry and coach Doug Christie.
Unfortunately for Kuminga and the Kings, the Warriors have to be willing to play ball in a sign-and-trade to which they’ve held the former seventh overall pick in high-value. They themselves may now identify the start of AfroBasket as a potential date where Kuminga could change his mind and re-sign, subsequently bringing an end to a long drawn-out process which would allow Golden State to get on with their other free agency moves.