The Golden State Warriors may have gone through a long restricted free agency process with Jonathan Kuminga 12 months ago, but at least they didn't stoop as low as what the Los Angeles Lakers have in their reported offer to the the young forward.
According to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday, the Lakers are offering Kuminga only a two-year, $20 million contract -- well below the two-year, $46.3 million deal the Warriors eventually signed the 23-year-old to last season.
Lakers are insulting Jonathan Kuminga with low contract offer
That contract came with a second-year team option that the Atlanta Hawks declined despite only acquiring Kuminga in February, allowing the former seventh overall pick to enter unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career.
While multiple teams are showing interest in Kuminga -- most notably the Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers -- the contract offers on the table are clearly not going to be what he or his agent Aaron Turner are after.
Kuminga's value has fallen to a level that even the Warriors might be surprised by after dealing him and veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield to the Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis at the mid-season trade deadline.
This proposed offer from the Lakers is the same annual salary and a shorter term deal than what Quinten Post has received from the Memphis Grizzlies, with the Warriors now having the choice to match the three-year, $30 million contract which appears unlikely.
It's a dissapointing outcome for Kuminga who was initially looking for in excess of $100 million from Golden State when he was extension-eligible prior to his fourth NBA season, and during contract negotiations that became the talk of the NBA world last summer.
Lakers are trying to sell Jonathan Kuminga on role rather than money
Instead of offering anywhere near a lucrative contract, the Lakers are trying to sell Kuminga on a big on-court opportunity as a likely starter alongside the newly-formed trio of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler.
"(Rob) Pelinka has remained in touch with Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, subtly improving their offer in recent days, league sources told ESPN, while reiterating to Kuminga his importance to what the Lakers are building around Doncic, a likely starting role and what the opportunity could do for his career," ESPN's Anthony Slater wrote on Tuesday.
As much as a starting role might be on offer for Kuminga, it's still difficult to see him taking $10 million per year when this is a time, as a young player, he should be trying to maximize his worth. Perhaps he believes a prominent role with the Lakers could get him a major payday in a couple of years, but that's yet another risk he'd likely prefer not to take if possible.
Add us as a preferred source on Google