Warriors Increase Contract Offer for Jonathan Kuminga

There has been a growing assumption that Kuminga will ultimately take the $7.9 million qualifying offer to stay in Golden State for one year, then hit unrestricted free agency next summer, but the Warriors are trying to prevent that.

Warriors up their offer

Kuminga has until October 1 to decide whether he wants to sign the qualifying offer or not, so the Warriors are seemingly trying to take that option away by upping their contract offer for him. After reportedly offering Kuminga a two-year deal worth $45 million and a second-year team option, Golden State is sweetening it.

ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported that the Warriors are now offering Kuminga a three-year, $75.2 million deal with a third-year team option.

"The Warriors have strengthened their effort. Late last week, Dunleavy offered Kuminga a three-year, $75.2 million deal with a team option in the third season, sources told ESPN," Charania and Slater wrote.

Kuminga was initially asking for around $30 million per year, and this $25 million AAV is the closest he is probably going to get. This is a similar value to what the Chicago Bulls and Josh Giddey agreed to last week, except the expectation is that the Warriors want to use this contract as trade bait for the 2025-26 season.

Is it about the money?

It seems more likely that Kuminga simply does not want to be used as a trade pawn, which is why he would rather take the cheap qualifying offer that includes a no-trade clause and allows him to choose his destiny next offseason.

"Turner and Kuminga have spent much of the summer requesting a player option as part of their preferred deals, sources said, showing a willingness to dip down into the $20 million per year range for it, but believing a team option deal should cost around $30 million per year," ESPN wrote. "The Warriors have also viewed a player option as a nonstarter, sources said."

Kuminga and his teams have two significant desires throughout these contract negotiations, and neither of them is money-related. One, Kuminga does not want to be a pawn. Two, Kuminga wants a legitimate on-court role, which he does not feel he will have in Golden State.

Talks between the two sides will continue to heat up over the next couple of weeks, and a resolution will finally be here soon enough.