It's nearing the end of August, and the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have yet to reach a resolution. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Friday that the Warriors are "discouraging" sign-and-trade proposals (subscription required) because none of them have met Golden State's standards.
Fischer added that Kuminga's "only recourse at this stage might be accepting his one-year, $8 million qualifying offer which expires Oct. 1." The insider also reported that Kuminga isn't interested in taking the Warriors' two-year, $45 million offer because because of the belief that they'd sign him to trade him before the February deadline.
If Kuminga takes his qualifying offer, he'll be set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, so he could walk for nothing.
Golden State not showing a willingness to listen to sign-and-trade offers is an interesting decision, given Kuminga could sign his qualifying offer. Perhaps the Warriors believe the forward is holding out as long as possible, putting pressure on them to trade him, and if that doesn't happen, he'll accept the two-year deal as is.
Warriors are reportedly "discouraging" Kuminga sign-and-trade proposals
You can't rule out Kuminga taking Golden State's offer, but it seems just as likely (if not more likely) that he'll play out the 2025-26 season on $8 million. He's prepared to bet on himself. Going that route isn't a preferable outcome for either party (Kuminga could get hurt), but it seems to be what he's drawn to the most.
Fischer reiterated that the Warriors don't want to lose Buddy Hield or Moses Moody because of a sign-and-trade deal (for salary purposes). They want to keep shooting around Steph Curry.
Would it be worse to lose Hield or Moody, or to lose Kuminga for nothing next summer in free agency?
Golden State would be wise to revisit sign-and-trade talks with Sacramento, which offered a 2030 protected first-round pick and Malik Monk, per Sam Amick of The Athletic. The Warriors want an unprotected pick. Rejecting that offer could come back to haunt them.
The longer this situation draws out, the worse it feels. Nearly two months have passed since the official start of free agency. Golden State overestimated Kuminga's value. Brooklyn is the only team with the cap space to make an offer for Kuminga, but the Nets aren't interested. The Kings, Suns, and Bulls have expressed interest in a sign-and-trade, but the Warriors aren't having it.
A compromise needs to be reached, whether it involves Golden State altering its offer (a player option instead of a team option?) to Kuminga or lowering the asking price in a sign-and-trade deal.