While there is still plenty to play out in this NBA season, there's also an eye already on the offseason where the Golden State Warriors will have a huge decision to make on Jonathan Kuminga.
After failing to come to an extension agreement prior to the season, Kuminga will enter restricted free agency where the commitment the Warriors have to their most talented young player will be well and truly tested.
Josh Giddey's price could set a market for Jonathan Kuminga
Golden State should be applauded for their patience in not forcing a Kuminga extension when they could have easily signed him to a 25-30+ million per year deal. The 22-year-old's decision to bet on himself probably hasn't worked out in his own favor so far, though much of that comes down to injury issues he's faced over the second-half of the season.
Kuminga only recently returned from a 31-game absence due to a severe ankle sprain, and then missed Tuesday's win over the Memphis Grizzles due to a pelvic contusion following a hard fall on Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs.
The fit of Kuminga on this current iteration of the Warriors has been very questionable since his return, leading to increased conjecture on what the franchise would be willing to spend to retain him in free agency.
One player who Kuminga has been compared to is Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey. While undoubtedly very different players, they've long been paired together as restricted free agents with similar expected value.
According to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer on Monday, Giddey could be asking for in excess of $30 million per season which may set a dangerous precedent for what Golden State may have to pay Kuminga.
"He'll be a restricted free agent this summer and is expected to seek a new multiyear deal that pays at least $30 million annually … in line with the contracts landed by other top guards in his draft class like Orlando's Jalen Suggs and Atlanta's Jalen Johnson," Stein and Fischer wrote.
As Spotrac's Keith Smith put it last week, "Kuminga has been less reliable than Giddey, but he’s got higher upside." It's that upside that could be enticing to a team like the Brooklyn Nets who have the time and opportunity to let young players play through mistakes and develop into potential stars.
The Warriors will have the right to match any Kuminga offer sheet in the summer, but after extending Jimmy Butler on a new two-year, $111 million deal upon his arrival in February, it will be interesting to see how far they'll be willing to go on the former seventh overall pick.