NBA Insider Gives Latest Update on Kings' Pursuit of Kuminga

After it was reported that Dennis Schoder would sign with the Sacramento Kings, the rumor mill started churning about the deal turning into a multi-team trade. Sacramento reportedly is very interested in Kuminga, but the deal would be complicated.

It remains to be seen where Golden State values Kuminga and if they’re even willing to pay him close to what he’s looking for, but they do still hold some cards. The Warriors extended a $7.9M qualifying offer to Kuminga to make him a restricted free agent, but it seems unlikely that he would agree to come back unless the Warriors offer more. It’s been a challenge to keep up with the story, but NBA insider, Jake Fischer, had some updates via Bleacher Report’s live stream. 

“Confidently, I do not think we’re getting a resolution on Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency anytime soon.”

While this is probably not what fans want to hear, it makes sense. Sacramento has no reason to overpay for Kuminga or offer any of their core pieces to Golden State, and the Warriors could always just choose to keep Kuminga for now. While Sacramento is interested in Kuminga, they’re not the only team that has a shot at him, according to Fischer.

“I do believe Sacramento is involved. I do believe that there’s still a chance Miami could come away with Jonathan Kuminga… There’s still some thought some hope, maybe that Chicago could be in play for him.”

Miami has long been rumored as a Kuminga destination, and Chicago has definitely been brought up before, but the caveat to all of this is that Kuminga himself has a big say in what happens. It’s likely that Kuminga is looking for a starting spot, which adds another complexity for the Kings and Heat specifically.

While a sign and trade is possible, these positional issues and the lack of cap space around the league could lead Kuminga to stay put. Fischer had this to say about Kuminga possibly staying in the Bay Area.

“I think that might be the most likely scenario”

From a Kings’ perspective, it would be a little disappointing to be running back close to the same team next year after missing out on Kuminga. That’s not to say Kuminga is the answer to all of Sacramento’s problems, but adding a promising 22-year-old that already has four years of NBA experience isn’t a bad idea for a team that doesn’t seem to have much of an identity yet.

It’s not clear where the Kings will pivot if they miss out on Kuminga, but according to Fischer, they’ve been extremely active. 

“The Kings have been super involved in trade conversations… They nearly sent out Malik Monk in the Schröder trade.”

I won’t get into my take on that rumored trade until I know how it all plays out, but it’s good to hear that the Kings are exploring their options. The past front office was known for getting close to many moves that never came to life, and ironically, they sealed their own fate with a move they did actually complete.

Since trading De’Aaron Fox, the Kings have been searching for a way to balance a top-heavy roster without many connecting pieces. Again, Kuminga isn’t going to completely change the Kings' outlook, but it’s clear change is needed, and there are worse players to take a shot on than the former top 10 overall pick.