It's not often that the Golden State Warriors come under fire for mishandling an element of the organization's operations. They've won four championships and made six NBA Finals appearances since 2015, revolutionizing the sport along the way.
Unfortunately, the manner in which the Warriors have handled Jonathan Kuminga's development and contract situation has backed them into a corner they appear unlikely to escape.
Kuminga, 22, is a restricted free agent who has reportedly requested a salary in the range of three years and $82 million. Golden State was unwilling to meet that demand, but hope still existed that the two sides could come to terms on a mutually-beneficial deal.
According to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of ESPN, that failed to materialize when Kuminga declined a two-year, $45 million contract with a team option for the second season.
"This continued stalemate is largely about control, and the option dispute is at the crux of it. Kuminga believes accepting the Warriors' two-year offer with a team option, along with forfeiting trade veto rights, cedes too much control to a franchise he believes has stunted and strung his career along for four seasons, sources said."
It's still possible that the two sides will strike an agreement, but it's becoming more likely by the day that the Warriors will need to settle for the best sign-and-trade offer they can receive.
Warriors close to having to settle for Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade
In an ideal world, Golden State would either re-sign Kuminga and find him a steady role in the rotation, or execute a sign-and-trade that benefits both parties. Either outcome would position both player and team to excel in 2025-26 and beyond.
Unfortunately, the viability of that admittedly optimistic result is becoming increasingly unrealistic with every report and new development.
With August approaching, the number of teams with the cap space to take on Kuminga's contract inevitably borders on zero. By that same token, a vast majority of teams have already filled their respective voids as far as high-volume scorers are concerned.
That leaves a select few options for Kuminga to pursue as a restricted free agent and an even more limited selection of ideal sign-and-trade offers for Golden State to peruse.
The Phoenix Suns were mentioned by Charania and Slater as a team offering Kuminga nearly $70 more in guaranteed money than the Warriors. Unfortunately, their trade options are scarce and the logistics of completing a sign-and-trade are complex.
That could ultimately result in the Warriors having to accept a return for Kuminga that fails to reflect his talent level and production.
Warriors' options are limited on the sign-and-trade front
Unfortunate as that may be, it's the disappointing reality that Golden State may soon be forced to accept. It can still aspire to acquire a quality contributor and become active in free agency, but the return for Kuminga is unlikely to be as prolific as it could've been roughly six months ago.
It's the unfortunate result of a variety of factors, including Kuminga's stunted development and the public fallout between the two sides.
Rival executives have thus been given every reason to remain patient and construct trade offers that benefit themselves above all others. It's public knowledge that Kuminga and the Warriors haven't been able to agree to terms on a new deal, which is reason enough to wait the process out.
It certainly doesn't help Golden State's already weak leverage that Kuminga can accept his qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent on his own terms in 2026.
To make matters worse, head coach Steve Kerr revealed that he's been asked to prioritize winning and thus doesn't believe that Kuminga can play big minutes with the current core. With all of this in mind, the Warriors have virtually nothing to work with aside from the team-friendly nature of restricted free agency.
Unless the front office can mend fences or find a sign-and-trade partner with unexpected interest in Kuminga, the return could prove far less fruitful than previously anticipated.