Warriors Media Day: Three Big Absences, Veterans Show Support

Kuminga skipped media day after no progress was made in negotiations with the Warriors front office. Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke with Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, on Sunday, but sources said no deal is close. Golden State has three offers on the table: two years for $45 million, three years for $75.2 million with a team option, or three years for $54 million without one.

Kuminga has resisted deals with team options. He wants a show of trust from Golden State, preferably with a player option included. His camp has pushed the message that years of role confusion under Steve Kerr justify stronger security in this round of talks.

Kuminga’s greatest leverage remains the one-year, $8 million qualifying offer, which expires Wednesday night. His absence from their media day reinforced that this saga will come down to the final hours.

Leadership Steps Forward

With Kerr and Dunleavy absent, the spotlight fell squarely on Golden State’s veterans. The “big three” of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green carried the message that the locker room still supports Kuminga.

Draymond offered the most direct backing. He admitted he told Kuminga that “contract negotiations get messy [and] it’s part of business.” He also revealed his advice: “that if he signs a new deal and comes out and plays well early — people will forget about the contract negotiations.” According to Draymond, Kuminga has already told him he wants to stay in Golden State.

Curry Draws the Line

Curry made it clear he views the situation as a team matter, not an agent’s standoff. “I only listen to my teammate. I don’t listen to agents or anybody who’s speaking on behalf,” Curry said. The remark separated Kuminga the player from Turner the negotiator, a careful choice of words with the media watching.

Curry admitted the team talks about it privately. “As leaders on the team, you have to acknowledge what’s going on and don’t make it more than what it is, other than a team trying to figure out the situation that’s in front of us and the challenge that’s in front of us.”

He closed his media day availability with reassurance: “This is a little different because you have a guy that’s trying to figure out his situation, and we respect that process. It’s going to play out, and when he’s here — ready to work, like we expect him to be locked in on doing what he needs to do to help us win.”

Butler’s Quiet Support

Butler avoided his usual antics this year. No “emo Jimmy,” no viral costume change. Instead, he spoke like a veteran aware of how these negotiations unfold. “I hope it gets resolved,” Butler said. “I know what that is like. I’ve been in this league going on 15 years now and it will get handled, and I know that both sides will be happy in the end. We all love JK and we all want this organization to be happy, and we’re going to let JK and this organization figure it out.”

Off the court, Butler made sure to keep morale high. He hosted a mini-camp in San Diego, opening his house to teammates. Draymond laughed as he described Butler’s wine cellar as “the cellar of an emperor.”

The Waiting Game

By the end of Warriors’ media day, the message was clear: Golden State’s veterans remain united while management and Kuminga’s camp play the waiting game. The absences of Kerr, Dunleavy, and Kuminga reflected the tension. But the voices that did show up — Curry, Draymond, Butler — kept the focus on loyalty, patience, and eventually, basketball.