Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga remains one of the notable restricted free agents this summer, but that group has became smaller on Thursday after Cam Thomas made a decision on his future.
The Brooklyn Nets guard has taken the leap to sign his $6 million qualifying offer, with Thomas clearly unmotivated by other offers and choosing instead to take control of his own destiny where he now has a no-trade clause and will become an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
However, signing the qualifying offer does present Thomas with some risks, as it will for Kuminga if he follows a similar path before the October 1 deadline. There's already been reports of a reduced role in store for the 23-year-old in Brooklyn next season, providing a blueprint to a message the Warriors could use in convincing Kuminga to avoid a free agency disaster.
Warriors can give Jonathan Kuminga a clear message in free agency
On the surface, taking control of your own future and having the clarity of becoming an unrestricted free agent next offseason does sound enticing. Yet it also puts you at the mercy of your current team for an extra year without a high salary, with Thomas' on-ball opportunity now expected to decline according to Nets Daily.
"But with Thomas future so uncertain, the Nets are unlikely to feature him as much as if they had signed him to a long-term contract and of course the Nets are once again in tank mode as they try to secure one of the top picks in the 2026 Draft," the article read.
The Warriors may want to play it cool with Kuminga to try and salvage some of the relationship, but reports of his increasing desire to accept the qualifying offer should have them ready to act in a more aggressive manner.
Having Kuminga sign the qualifying offer would be a disaster for Golden State, meaning that they should be letting the 22-year-old know in no uncertain terms that doing so would greatly impact his role on the team next season.
Of course, saying this and following through when you're a team looking to compete is far more difficult as opposed to a team like the Nets who aren't totally focused on winning. Yet if it's what the Warriors need to do to scare Kuminga away from the qualifying offer, then it may need to be done.
Sure there may be more teams with cap room in 2026 who could be prepared to offer Kuminga the contract he desires, but are they really going to do that after another season where the former seventh overall pick has an uncertain role or blatantly just plays very little?
That's the question Kuminga will be asking himself right now, and particular moreso if the Warriors present the situation to him as such. In an ideal universe there's still a way where both parties can come together amicably and work out a new two-year deal, yet that may be more hope than realistic outcome at this stage.