Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

NBA Exec Makes $131 Million Claim on Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga Amid Contract Standoff

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 8:08 AM ET

Probably the most interesting and persistent question to emerge from this offseason has been what, exactly, Jonathan Kuminga is worth on the open market. The Warriors obviously have his rights, and have the utmost control when it comes to answering the question, but given that Kuminga is a restricted free agent, they have the upper hand--they can play hardball with Kuminga, and have been doing so.

Restricted free agency, with no NBA teams that have cap space and want to sign Kuminga, means it's up to the Warriors to determine his value.

Kuminga, for all his youth (he is 22) and talent, is an awkward fit on a veteran Warriors team that does not need a non-shooting wing on board. It also has no room for Kuminga in its starting five, and it is clear that Kuminga sees himself as a starter in the NBA.

The Warriors' offer, still on the table, is a two-year deal worth $40-45 million, a contract that does not tie up the team's books and, in fact, enables Golden State to trade Kuminga quickly.

Jonathan Kuminga Should Get More Than Jaden McDaniels

Kuminga was at his best in 2023-24, when he averaged 16.1 points and shot 52.6% from the field, playing 74 games (46 as a starter). But he was injured for much of last season and when he came back, the Warriors had essentially replaced him with Jimmy Butler.

An anonymous executive says he would give Jonathan Kuminga $125M over five years and compares him to Jaden McDaniels

“McDaniels is great in his role, but J.K. is more talented and has higher upside if he ever can hit.”

(Via @TheAthletic ) pic.twitter.com/FCSESNr4Yp
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 14, 2025

While the Warriors have been unable to place a value on Kuminga, at least one other NBA exec has done so. One told Fred Katz of The Athletic that Kuminga is deserving of the kind of five-year, $131 million contract that Jaden McDaneils got from the Timberwolves.

"McDaniels is great in his role, but J.K. is more talented and has higher upside if he ever can hit,” the exec said.

It's a fair comparison but, then, if the exec--or any other NBA executive, for that matter--truly felt that way, they could have carved out cap space to pursue Kuminga themselves. No one's done that, which means the Warriors are in control, and that a McDaniels contract is not headed Kuminga's way in Golden State.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: