The 2025-26 NBA season is just weeks away from officially beginning with the arrival of training camp, but there are still two contract disputes that need to be resolved. Jonathan Kuminga and Quentin Grimes continue to linger in restricted free agency without any available cap space around the league. While it’s been widely presumed that Grimes will eventually return to the Philadelphia 76ers, Kuminga’s future with the Golden State Warriors has been a little murkier. Now we know the exact details of the contract talks between the two sides.
In a perfect world, Kuminga wants to leave the Warriors to get the type of bigger opportunity for minutes and touches that’s never been there for him in Golden State. The Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns both have interest in trading for Kuminga, but the Warriors have rejected all offers because they don’t want to take back long-term salary. At this point, the Warriors and Kuminga are negotiating with an understanding that Golden State will likely trade him eventually.
On Monday, ESPN reporters Shams Charania and Anthony Slater detailed what the back-and-forth looks like between Kuminga and the Warriors with the exact numbers both sides are looking for.
Warriors’ latest offer to Jonathan Kuminga
The Warriors are offering Kuminga $75.2 million over three years with a team option on the final year of the deal, per ESPN. Golden State is also demanding that Kuminga would waive the no-trade clause that comes with the deal.
Previously, Golden State has offered Kuminga a two-year, $45 million deal with a team option on the second season and an agreement to waive his no-trade clause.
The Warriors have also made one offer to Kuminga without a team option. Golden State has offered a three-year, $54 million deal full guaranteed. That’s almost half of what Kuminga was originally looking for.
What Jonathan Kuminga wants from the Warriors
Kuminga wants to an opportunity to show he can be a star. That has been hard to come by with the Warriors, because Steve Kerr doesn’t trust him. Kerr doesn’t trust his decision-making, his shooting, or his defense. It’s left both sides in a situation where they should probably break up.
Kuminga has been telling the Warriors that he wants $30 million per year if there’s a team option on the deal. The Warriors are currently offering $25 million with a team option. Instead, Kuminga wants a player option, which the Warriors refuse to give him. If he was to get a player option, Kuminga would be willing to take a salary around $20 million per year, per ESPN. The Warriors just won’t play ball.
What are Kings and Suns offers for Kuminga?
We know the Suns and Kings have made aggressive offers for Kuminga, both in terms of trade assets and guaranteed salary should a trade agreement be reached. ESPN provides some new information on what these offers might look like:
- The Suns offered Royce O’Neale and a second-round draft compensation
- The Kings offered Malik Monk and a future first-round pick
Now, Charania doesn’t say what the protection is on the Kings’ first-round pick offer. It’s possible that’s a top-1o or lottery-protected pick that the Warriors don’t value as highly. Monk has three years and about $60 million remaining on his deal. O’Neale has three years and about $32 million remaining on his salary.
The Warriors should take that offer from the Kings, if you ask me. Monk is a great shooter with fantastic speed who would be able to fill Jordan Poole’s former role in Golden State with a little less recklessness. Golden State is still thinking big picture as it approaches life without Steph Curry, and that means the team wants their books clean. For that reason, Kuminga is still under Warriors control, and they aren’t going to part with him even if they don’t really want him.
The Kuminga situation has held up the Warriors’ entire offseason. Right now, Golden State is the only team who hasn’t made any moves this summer. Everything thinks the Warriors are going to land Al Horford, but it’s getting late. Macolm Brogdon was another presumed Warriors target, but he didn’t want to wait around any longer, so he signed with the Knicks. The Warriors need to tie up this Kuminga business because it’s legitimately wrecked their summer.
Warriors training camp opens Monday, September 29. Will Kuminga be there? It seems like the last big question of the NBA offseason.
