The Golden State Warriors expect Jonathan Kuminga to be around still next season, even after he turned down a two-year, $45 million offer. The Suns and Kings made offers for Kuminga in sign-and-trade deals, but they weren't enough for the Warriors. ESPN reported that Phoenix has made the most "lucrative push" for the forward, but the Suns don't have a first-round pick to offer.
Golden State wants a first-rounder in exchange for Kuminga. Sacramento offered a conditional first-round pick, but the Warriors want an unprotected first-round pick. Phoenix couldn't offer a first-round pick if it wanted to.
ESPN's Marc Spears said that the Suns offered Royce O'Neale, Nick Richards, and four second-round picks. You can assume that if Phoenix had a first-round pick to offer, it would. Mat Ishbia is desperate to turn the Suns into a contender, which is laughable in itself.
Kuminga doesn't want to return to The Bay, and even though the Warriors don't have the role he wants, Golden State seems intent on keeping him. ESPN added that Golden State has begun to signal an end to sign-and-trade talks.
The Warriors put themselves in a bad position with Kuminga, but they can't let the Suns sway them to get him in a sign-and-trade.
Suns don't have a first-round pick to offer Warriors
You can say that it's interesting that Golden State wants an unprotected first-round pick for Kuminga, a player who was in and out of the rotation the past four years. Why are the Warriors setting that kind of a price on a player they don't believe in?
Putting that question aside, Golden State's best bet at this rate is to convince Kuminga to accept a short-term deal (or hope the Kings get especially desperate). He'd become trade-eligible in January and could be flipped before the February deadline. There is an issue with that as well. How will Kuminga increase his value during the first half of the season if his playing time is inconsistent?
Still, that isn't a reason to let Kuminga go to the Suns without getting a first-round pick. At this point, Golden State might as well hold steady to its demand.
Kuminga might not realize it, but the Warriors are doing him a favor by not letting him go to the Suns. He'd get the increased role he wants, but Phoenix hasn't been a functional organization specifically during the past few years. Far from it, actually.