Warriors may significantly benefit from Jonathan Kuminga's mistake

After a breakout period during the second half of last season, Jonathan Kuminga's contract situation was always going to be a huge talking point ahead of his fourth season with the Golden State Warriors.

Yet unlike fellow fourth-year lottery pick Moses Moody, Kuminga and the Warriors were unable to come to terms on a new contract prior to the October 21 extension deadline.

Early season form suggests Jonathan Kuminga made a big mistake

Looking to secure his first big pay day in the league, Kuminga and his management were rightfully after as big a contract as they could possibly get. He saw his fellow members of the 2021 draft class, namely Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner, get max deals of five years and in excess of $220 million.

There was a lot of conjecture on what Kuminga and his management ultimately wanted, and what the Golden State front office were willing to offer. Now according to a recent report from Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, the young forward had no interest in taking anything less than a five-year, $175 million contract.

"Instead, nothing came close on a similar five-year, $150 offer for Kuminga because it seemed like the least he would’ve considered was a five-year, $175 million deal," Scotto wrote.

Based on his uncertain role to start this season and the very few teams who have cap space heading into next offseason, Kuminga may have made a major mistake in not being willing to take less on an extension, particularly if the Warriors were willing to offer something in the range of $150 million.

The 22-year-old started the first three games of the season but has made just one since. Kuminga is currently averaging 13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 43.1% shooting from the floor and 29% from 3-point range -- all worse numbers than last season. It's not as if his role hadn't wavered throughout his first three years in the league, meaning that should have been viewed as a distinct possibility when evaluating whether or not to take an extension offer prior to the season.

From a front office perspective, the Warriors now have far more flexibility in what they could do from a trade standpoint without having to take into account an impending Kuminga extension. His restricted free agency will still have to factor into any decision they make, but there's still far more optionality than what they would have had.

Kuminga's early season form would suggest he's far from a $150 million player, let alone the $175+ million he was after. Perhaps Golden State learnt a thing or two about patience after the Jordan Poole situation, and they could reap the benefits in ensuring they're not locked into a contract that could've quickly drawn a wave of criticism.