When it comes to Jonathan Kuminga, the Golden State Warriors have no leverage beyond restricted free agency rights. It's the unfortunate truth facing a Warriors side that seems destined to part ways with Kuminga, whether in 2025 or at some point in 2026.
The goal is still to maximize the return on the investment in Kuminga, but one Sacramento Kings analyst addressed the simple fact that Golden State has an uphill battle ahead of it.
Kuminga recently declined a two-year, $45 million offer from the Warriors that included a team option for the second season. In the same report, it was revealed that the Kings and Phoenix Suns are willing to offer Kuminga contracts in the range of four years and $90 million—but Golden State isn't exactly jumping at their current sign-and-trade proposals.
Matt George of ABC10 broke the situation down in a way that highlighted the brutal reality of Golden State's current predicament.
If the Kings & Kuminga feel this good about a future partnership, it makes even more sense for the Kings to stand firm with their (low) sign-and-trade offer.
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) July 30, 2025
Sure a lot can change in a year, but the Kings have the time to wait until next summer to just sign Kuminga as an…
The Warriors can't act irrationally simply due to disadvantageous circumstances, but George's post on X epitomizes the reality they must accept.
The Kings have what the Warriors don't with Jonathan Kuminga: Time
Sacramento is interested in signing Kuminga, but it already has a surplus of talented scorers on the roster. DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Domantas Sabonis are All-Stars capable of putting up points in a hurry, and Malik Monk and Dennis Schröder are proven veterans in their own right.
The Kings even have a strong collection of up-and-coming players, including Devin Carter, Nique Clifford, Keon Ellis, and Keegan Murray.
Many have questioned how Sacramento's pieces will fit together, as redundant skill sets and a lack of defensive-minded veterans offer cause for concern. That's something of a luxury in the Kuminga scenario, however, as the Kings are dealing with an offensive surplus rather than a deficit.
The Warriors, meanwhile, are a top-heavy win-now team with three stars who are 35 or older and little-to-no maneuverability until the Kuminga saga is resolved.
With this in mind, Sacramento has every reason to wait Golden State out—and the same can be said for the Suns. It would behoove Phoenix to add Kuminga as quickly as possible, thus giving the new core a chance to develop chemistry ahead of the 2025-26 season.
The reality in Phoenix and Sacramento, however, is that neither side is expected to compete for a championship in 2025-26—and both teams have young enough cores to build across multiple years.
With the Warriors involved in a waiting game that they're worst-equipped to win, the pressure is on to make the most of Kuminga's sign-and-trade value. That could, unfortunately, mean accepting less than they once hoped they would—but still setting a high enough standard to permit roster improvement.
It's an unfortunate position for the Warriors to find themselves in, but the most dominant franchise of the past 10 years has found itself with its back against the wall.