Jonathan Kuminga’s Next Contract Projected by NBA Executive

An anonymous NBA executive has given a projection as to what type of deal a Jonathan Kuminga Contract would look like. The executive stated that he would give Kuminga 125 million dollars over five years, which comes out to 25 million per season. The executive also compared Kuminga to Jaden McDaniels of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Would this proposed Jonathan Kuminga contract be fair, and is Kuminga a fair comparison? 

Jonathan Kuminga vs. Jaden McDaniels comparison

Kuminga and McDaniels are similar in a lot of ways. They’re both role players on their current teams and are far away from being the most impactful players on the Timberwolves and Warriors. They both average somewhere between 12 and 15 points per game, and are both solid all-around players. At least on the surface, the comparison is a good one. 

The problem comes with the contract. 25 million per season seems more than reasonable for the production Kuminga has shown, but does he view it that way? Based on how long this story has been in the news, the answer is probably no. The battle seems to be between Kuminga wanting a lucrative contract, and the Warriors not wanting to budge on that front. 

What should Kuminga do? 

The contract projection and comparison by the NBA executive seems fair, but that doesn’t change the contract dispute. What should Kuminga do? It’s been suggested that Kuminga could take a chance on himself and take the 7.9 million qualifying offer. That way, if he plays well, he can coast into unrestricted free agency next offseason and get a nice contract with whatever team he wants to sign with. 

It would also give both the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga more time on contract negotiations. Whether they trade him or extend him, Kuminga taking the qualifying offer would give both sides more time, and with more time could come a resolution that makes both sides happy.