Wherever it may be, Jonathan Kuminga wants to feel valued. That's not exactly being delivered clear to him in current contract negotiations with the Golden State Warriors, even if the franchise has recently increased their offer to the young forward.
According to ESPN on Monday, the Warriors have now presented Kuminga with a three-year, $75 million contract offer that comes with a third year team option. That's a significant step in negotiations, yet one that Kuminga is yet to step foot in joining the franchise on.
There's a chance that Kuminga won't feel wholly valued unless Golden State commit to a longer-term offer -- something in the realm of the four years that Josh Giddey got from the Chicago Bulls last week, or what the Phoenix Suns have offered to him pending a sign-and-trade.
Warriors want to retain their cap flexibility in 2027
There's a host of reasons as to why the Warriors want to re-sign Kuminga on a shorter-term deal, starting with trying to make sure he remains valuable enough once he's eligible to be traded mid-season.
However, there's also another overarching theme to this entire process which comes down to Golden State's desire to retain as much flexibility as possible for the 2027 offseason. They've given themselves a two-year window with the veteran core of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, by which point all three will then be off their current deals.
Curry is just one superstar who could become a free agent in 2027, with fellow multi-time MVP's Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo also headlining the current projected group. With the crop of free agents so tantalizing, the Warriors don't want to reduce their ability to target one or two of these players by giving Kuminga one extra year.
It's why it's highly unlikely that Golden State will grant Kuminga his wish of a longer-term deal, even if most presume that the 22-year-old will be off the team and traded by such time. The front office may have been willing to move from a 1+1 offer to a 2+1, but don't expect them to suddenly guarantee that third year or give Kuminga a player option.
The Warriors only have Moses Moody under guaranteed contract beyond the 2026-27 season, and it's at a very palatable $13.4 million in the final year of his deal. They may have to start making more contract decisions in the next 12-18 months that sees them eat into their 2027 flexibility, but they're not about to start now in these Kuminga negotiations.