Jonathan Kuminga was once viewed as one of the key pieces of a puzzle that would extend Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson's careers. His profound upside and immediate production painted the picture of a top-tier scorer in the making, thus giving the Golden State Warriors a chance to alleviate pressure from their superstars as they entered their mid-30s.
Unfortunately, the Kuminga saga has become one of the most most polarizing chapters in recent franchise history, with the latest development revealing yet another element of Golden State's mistakes.
Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of ESPN reported on the morning of July 30 that Kuminga had declined a two-year, $45 million offer from the Warriors. The instant assumption was that the two sides were far apart on the financial elements of the deal, but the 22-year-old had a different reason entirely.
Per Charania and Slater, Kuminga declined the Warriors' offer due to the inclusion of a second-year team option and the removal of a built-in no-trade clause.
"Kuminga's decision is due in large part to the Warriors' insistence on having a team option for the second season and their unwillingness to let him maintain the built-in no-trade clause, sources said."
Charania and Slater added that Kuminga's refusal to accept the aforementioned deal centers around his desire for career stability.
"Kuminga prefers the longer-term offers presented by the Kings and Suns 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, shown in part through the player option, sources said."
With this in mind, it's difficult to view the Warriors' offer as anything other than a continuation of the very mistakes that got them into this mess with Kuminga.
Warriors continue to ask Jonathan Kuminga to accept instability
Kuminga's first four years in the NBA have been the epitome of divisive. He's accumulated career averages of 20.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.7 offensive boards, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.7 blocks, and 1.3 three-point field goals made per 36 minutes, all the while shooting 50.7 percent from the field.
Compounded by a career eFG% of .550 that rests above the league average, Kuminga looks the part of the dynamic scorer he was expected to be.
Unfortunately, Kuminga's per-36 averages are often clung to for dear life when debates about his role and potential arise. He's averaged just 22.0 minutes per game through four seasons, including a decrease from 26.3 in 2023-24 to 24.3 in 2024-25.
It's perhaps the greatest example of why Kuminga is reluctant to re-sign with the Warriors: There has never been a season during which he's consistently received starting-caliber playing time.
That took a turn for the controversial when head coach Steve Kerr made the public comment that, "[Kuminga]'s not a guy who I can say I’m going to play 38 minutes with the roster that we have." The statement was made in regard to Kerr being asked by the organization to prioritize winning now.
Having been informed by a public media appearance that he's not a player who can help his current team win, it's understandable for Kuminga to be exploring other options.
Warriors continue to show Jonathan Kuminga he isn't valued long-term
The Warriors' latest decision to include a team option in a two-year contract may very well be the nail in the coffin. They've effectively informed a productive 22-year-old that they're so unsure of how he fits with the team that they're unwilling to commit to his inclusion and development beyond a single season.
Per Charania and Slater, that's the exact reason Kuminga refuses to accept an offer as one-sided as the one the Warriors have presented to him.
"This continued stalemate is largely about control, and the option dispute is at the crux of it. Kuminga believes accepting the Warriors' two-year offer with a team option, along with forfeiting trade veto rights, cedes too much control to a franchise he believes has stunted and strung his career along for four seasons, sources said."
Charania and Slater have also reported that the Suns are offering close to $70 million more to Kuminga in guaranteed money than the Warriors are. Couple those factors together and it's difficult to envision a scenario in which the up-and-comer settles for a one-sided offer from Golden State.
Kuminga certainly has areas in which he must improve, but if the Warriors have done anything, it's prove that he won't find stability or consistent opportunities with them.
If the Warriors don't want Jonathan Kuminga, they need to let him go
Kuminga's defensive inconsistency and erratic jump shot have made him a difficult player to fit alongside Butler, Curry, and Green. He's more of an isolation scoring threat than an individual with off-ball value, which poses quite an issue considering his teammates are simply of a higher caliber at this stage of their respective careers.
Curry and Green are four-time NBA champions, Butler led the Miami Heat to two NBA Finals appearances, and all three are extending their respective primes in prolific manners.
The unfortunate truth of Golden State's situation, however, is that basketball players aren't fictional characters. They're human beings with finite careers, bodies that break down, and egos that can be bruised by a lack of playing time or empowerment to explore their potential.
As such, it's hard to justify asking Kuminga to potentially waste a fifth consecutive season of his career and development without as much as a guaranteed second year on his contract.
In the event that Kuminga goes elsewhere, he should have an opportunity to play through his mistakes and learn from them. With the Warriors, however, he must either fit his game to complement the scorers ahead of him in the pecking order or find himself on the bench.
Everyone involved has a role to play in what's gone wrong, but the Warriors' latest offer epitomizes how they've bordered on sabotaging Kuminga's development.