Jonathan Kuminga’s Contract Gamble? 5 Cautionary Tales To Remember

There is nothing wrong with betting on yourself and hoping that a good season will result in more offers. According to the latest reports, the Golden State Warriors have upped their contract offer to Jonathan Kuminga. The new offer is a three-year deal, with two guaranteed seasons and a team option for the third. Kuminga might see it as a chance to prove himself, and next summer, when there will be 10 teams with cap space, chase a wealthier contract.

That is all great, but often, things do not end up like that in the NBA. Injuries, reduced playing time, a new role, and many other situations can get in the way. With that in mind, today, we will look at five cautionary tales for Kuminga and his camp. We are not suggesting he should take the latest contract offer. But we are simply looking at the other side of the story.

Jonathan Kuminga’s Contract Gamble? 5 Cautionary Tales To Remember

Victor Oladipo

This might be the most similar situation to the Kuminga contract extension talks. After making the All-Star team for two consecutive seasons, Victor Oladipo got a huge, four-year, $113 million contract deal with the Indiana Pacers on the table. He decided to reject it and hope for a better deal on the open market. Later on, he got traded to the Houston Rockets and denied another contract, this time, two years and $45 million. He eventually signed a one-year, minimum offer with the Miami Heat for $2.3 million. He recouped some of the lost money by signing another two-year, $18 million contract with the Heat. But his career went downhill after rejecting an offer he got while recovering from an injury.

DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins made his last All-Star appearance in the 2017-18 season. That year, the Pelicans, who hoped that a pairing of Cousins and Anthony Davis would propel them to a championship, offered him a two-year, $40 million extension.

Cousins turned it down, even though he was coming off an Achilles injury. He wound up playing for the Golden State Warriors on a minimum contract, hoping to win a title with the Kevin Durant-led team. But injuries plagued the 2018-19 Warriors, and they lost in the Finals to the Toronto Raptors.

Since turning down that extension, he tried to chase a ring with several teams and played on a lot of non-guaranteed contracts. He earned $14 million for the rest of his career.

Nerlens Noel

Nerlens Noel is another perfect cautionary tale for Jonathan Kuminga and his contract situation. Like Kuminga, Noel wanted to wait for free agency. He was also a high-lottery pick that showed flashes of potential, but never got to an All-Star level.

In 2017, Noel turned down a four-year, $70 million offer from the Dallas Mavericks. They acquired him at the 2017 trade deadline and offered him a contract despite him playing in only 22 games for them. He took the $4.1 million qualifying offer and hoped to get a huge payday in the summer. Turns out, he signed a minimum contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder afterward. He eventually got a decent contract from the New York Knicks at $9 million per season.

Shabazz Muhammad

This is arguably the worst-case scenario for Kuminga. Drafted 14th overall, Shabazz Muhammad played five seasons in the NBA. After his third season, in which he averaged 10.5 points for the Minnesota Timberwolves, he got a huge offer. The Timberwolves offered him a four-year, $40 million contract, but he turned it down and eventually signed for $1.5 million. By the end of 2018, he was out of the league. Muhammad played in China for a while, and then in 2022, he signed a contract with the NBA G League, hoping to make a comeback. That hasn’t happened yet.

Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schröder famously turned down a four-year, $84 million deal because he wanted to get $120 million back in 2021. After playing for a year with the Lakers, Schröder showed he can be a valuable contributor, but their offer was not enough. Because there were not many offers, he settled for a $5.9 million contract with the Boston Celtics.

The good news is that Schröder has carved a nice role for himself and managed to recoup some of the lost money. He signed a two-year, $25 million deal with the Toronto Raptors in 2023. This summer, he signed a three-year, $44 million deal with the Sacramento Kings. But even if you combine those contracts, it is still less than the offer the Lakers gave him.