ESPN reported on Wednesday morning that Jonathan Kuminga declined a two-year, $45 million contract from the Golden State Warriors. Even though Kuminga is pushing to play elsewhere, the Warriors reportedly plan to cut off sign-and-trade conversations with opposing teams. Every fan is wondering what the plan is.
Kuminga reportedly prefers the long-term offers he has received from the Suns and Kings, with Phoenix pursuing him the most. ESPN wrote that Kuminga is drawn to those offers because he "believes they signify a fresh start, a larger guaranteed role, a promised starting position and a greater level of respect and career control."
He knows he won't get those things from the Warriors, but Golden State expects him to remain with the organization, whether that be on a short-term deal or his $7.9 million qualifying offer.
It's become more evident by the day that Kuminga doesn't want to be in the Bay anymore, but he doesn't have the control he wants as a restricted free agent to dictate his next move. If he signs a short-term deal (like the one he turned down), he'd become trade-eligible in January, before the deadline.
The Warriors haven't received the offers they want from the Suns and Kings, but they think they'll get more before the deadline? Or next summer? How will that happen if Kuminga is in and out of the rotation?
Jonathan Kuminga situation continues to look worse for the Warriors
Kuminga won't be happy to return to Golden State for a fifth season, especially not for a team that wants to include a team option in the second season of his deal. He doesn't want to be under the control of an organization that has "stunted and strung his career along for four seasons" (per ESPN).
The Kuminga situation is getting messier by the day, with the Warriors taking the blame. He should've been traded before he hit restricted free agency. Steve Kerr and Golden State had no intention of giving him a consistent role, a sentiment that proved more true after the Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler.
Kuminga doesn't fit in San Francisco. You can argue that because he's still young (he'll turn 23 in October), he still has the time to develop and grow into a fringe All-Star player. While that could be true, it's evident that it won't happen in Golden State.
The Warriors will regret their positioning even more if Kuminga accepts his qualifying offer that would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer.