Latest Report on Kings, Warriors Trade Negotiations

As Amick mentions above, the true hang-up might be moving another piece in order for the Warriors to be able to fill out their roster by signing Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II, who all reportedly have verbal agreements to join (or re-join) Golden State.

As it stands, this complication has the needle moving toward Kuminga staying in San Francisco for the time being. For Sacramento, there is no need to be overly aggressive. If Kuminga does end up signing Golden State’s two-year offer, they will likely still look to trade him by the deadline and may be even more desperate.

If Kuminga takes the qualifying offer, Sacramento will be at the front of the line to negotiate with him in free agency next summer. Sactown Sports 1140's Carmichael Dave gave an update on X that affirms that the Kings are going to be patient here.

The part that pops out most to me is that the standoff isn’t between the Kings and the Warriors, it’s between the Warriors and Kuminga’s camp. Kuminga would be leaving a good amount of money on the table if he continues to refuse Golden State’s contract offer, but he has until October 1st to make a decision.

The Warriors would like a resolution to this saga so they can fill out their roster, but they also don’t seem interested in even entertaining a trade until they’re positive they can’t lock Kuminga down to a two-year contract. 

As Dave mentions, the Kings are more than fine starting the season with their current roster, including Malik Monk. Kuminga would help free up some of the logjam at the two, but he’s still a very raw player, and the Kings are already in a tough spot after the moves for DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine last year.

Throwing in too much for Kuminga just to get the Warriors to bite could end up setting the team back even further, a protected first, and Monk is even too rich for some fans’ appetites. On the other end, the idea of Kuminga, Keon Ellis, and Keegan Murray making up the two, three, and four positions for Sacramento is exciting, and it makes sense that the Kings were willing to make a real offer. 

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the Kings aren’t willing to include a completely unprotected first-round pick either. This may prove to add to the stalemate, but right now, the Kings can just sit back and watch everything unfold.

If both Dave and Marc Spears are correct and Kuminga wants to be in Sacramento, then the Kings have even more leverage. The problem for Sacramento is that leverage doesn’t necessarily equal control.

Even though Kuminga may want to be elsewhere, the NBA is a business, and it’s rare to see players leave a lot of money on the table despite wanting a different role or more money. All eyes are going to be on the former G-League Ignite star as he continues to navigate this decision with the Warriors this offseason. 

Kings’ fans, team officials, and media alike are all dying for a competitive version of the team sooner rather than later, but patience should pay off in this case. With LaVine on to his last year next season (player option) and DeRozan on a partial guarantee, Sacramento will be able to be a lot more aggressive next offseason, and may even end up in the mix for a better player than Kuminga.

For now, here’s the crux of the entire situation for Sacramento.  Would a move for Kuminga give the Kings much-needed youth and balance? Yes. Does waiting and missing out on Kuminga set the Kings back any further? I don’t think so. 

With that said, let’s circle October 1st on our calendars and start thinking about the possibility of going into the season with the Kings roster set in stone.