The Golden State Warriors may have moved further to try and get a free agency deal done with Jonathan Kuminga in recent days, but an impasse remains between the franchise and their young forward.
ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported on Monday that Golden State had increased their offer to a three-year, $75 million contract with a third year team option, significantly raising the stakes from the two-year, $45 million deal (second year team option) that has caused the stalemate for weeks.
Now we have a crystal clear offer from Kuminga's side and his agent Aaron Turner, providing the Warriors with a solution to end this ongoing drama, yet not one that ultimately comes on their terms.
Warriors can sign Jonathan Kuminga if they give him a player option
Slater reported during Tuesday's episode of NBA Today that not only will Kuminga sign if Golden State were to offer the third year as a player option rather than a team option, but that he will wholly buy-in to the team's mission of trying to win another championship this season.
The message from Jonathan Kuminga and his agent Aaron Turner to the Warriors this week: Flip the team option to a player option and Kuminga will sign deal and buy-in to mission of getting Steph Curry another title.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 16, 2025
GSW has been reluctant to add a player option in any offer. pic.twitter.com/V05DRH2ROi
The fact it's taking a financial motive to get Kuminga to buy-in is a problem within itself, but it also demonstrates the different tools the 22-year-old and his camp have to try and get the contract they desire.
As Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer stated on Tuesday, "Golden State have every incentive possible to get Kuminga back not on the qualifying offer." The issue is the front office/ownership is now running out of tools to play themselves, having made the first move to increase their offer in the belief Kuminga would accept.
Because Golden State still hope to sign Al Horford to the taxpayer mid-level exception, along with the minimum signings of De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II etc., they can't really incentivize Kuminga more with an increase in annual salary without jeopardizing these other moves.
Therefore they can really only play around with the contract length, or put Steve Kerr in a bind by promising certain minutes or a role that otherwise can't be afforded. If they don't believe that Kuminga will legitimately turn down nearly $50 million in guaranteed money to take the qualifying offer, then there is no reason for the Warriors to move from their latest offer.
Yet if the October 1 qualifying offer deadline draws even closer and that becomes an even bigger threat, Golden State may have little choice but to give into that demand and give Kuminga the player option.
Caving into a young player and giving him control over his third year is something that would rightly terrify fans, but it may be the only solution if the Warriors are even more terrified by the ramifications of the qualifying offer.