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Jonathan Kuminga Is Ready to Pull a Ben Simmons
History often repeats in the NBA. Teams usually keep young, talented players on a short leash. That builds frustration, trust fades, and before long, both sides are looking to part ways. Sometimes, the divorce comes naturally, but other times, it turns ugly. Jonathan Kuminga is facing a similar situation to what Ben Simmons had with the Philadelphia 76ers. He wants out, but the team doesn’t let him, and he doesn’t really have a lot of leverage. Let’s take a look at the similarities between the two situations. Jonathan Kuminga Is Ready to Pull a Ben Simmons The latest reports on the Jonathan Kuminga situation is that the Warriors have only one offer for a trade with the Sacramento Kings, but they don’t like it. While the Warriors expected more teams to make bids for their young forward, in the end, only the Kings are serious enough. But their offer of Malik Monk and a protected 2030 first-round pick does not work for the Warriors. That leaves Kuminga with several options. The first is to accept the qualifying offer, sign it sooner, and hope for a better trade at the deadline. He would have to play at a high level to up his value, and it is in the Warriors’ interest to keep his value high. If nothing materializes at the deadline, he can be a free agent next summer. The second option is to sign a two-year deal with the Warriors, which is essentially a one year deal, and he becomes a free agent next summer as well. How Similar are the Simmons and Kuminga Situations? There are similarities in the way that both players felt disrespected and unsupported by their team’s management and coaching. Simmons felt that the Sixers didn’t support him after the playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. His agent told Philadelphia that he doesn’t plan to return to the team. Unlike Kuminga, Simmons was under a long-term contract with Philly and didn’t have leverage. What he did was refuse to play for the team until he got traded. Eventually, the Sixers traded him at the deadline for James Harden. Kuminga finds himself in a similar situation. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has previously said he doesn’t believe playing Jonathan will result in wins. That is a huge sign the team doesn’t view him as part of their future. During his four year stint with the Warriors, Kuminga has been in and out of the starting lineup, received a DNP-coach’s decision, and has had flashes of great play. But that marriage has run its course, and it is definitely time for both sides to part ways. The problem for Kuminga is that he is a restricted free agent. As such, he can only sign with teams with cap space, and there are not many of those around. Differences Between Simmons and Kuminga Both Simmons and Kuminga have played four seasons for their team (Simmons didn’t play in his first season due to injury). The difference is that Simmons won the Rookie of the Year award and was a three-time All-Star at the time he requested a trade. Kuminga is far from being an All-Star. Another difference is that Simmons had a long-term contract when he requested a trade. Jonathan has only one year left on his deal. What Happens Next? While there are similarities with the Simmons situation, the question now is what happens next with Kuminga? Will his career take off or not? Simmons never sniffed All-Star status after being traded, and he faced injuries that prevented him from playing at a high level. Kuminga believes he is a star player in this league and wants a chance to prove it. Whether he gets traded this summer, at the deadline, or signs with a new team next offseason, he will get his chance.
NFL under fire for decision on Chiefs WR Rashee Rice
The Kansas City Chiefs appeared to receive an early gift from the NFL regarding wide receiver Rashee Rice's looming suspension. The third-year receiver is set to have a disciplinary hearing on Sept. 30 after he pleaded guilty to collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation. The timing of Rice's hearing is curious because he pleaded guilty to his charges on the same day Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge connected to his arrest for alleged DUI. The league has already suspended Addison for the first three games of the upcoming season. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, a league source told him that the NFL doesn't typically delay hearings as it has in the case of Rice, preferring to finalize a punishment before Week 1. “Maybe I’m a conspiracy theorist, but this is odd," said the unnamed source, via Florio. “You hardly ever see players get suspended in season unless they did something in season like a drug test or something.” The suspicion from the source and Florio is that the league is keeping Rice available for marquee matchups in the early season. The Chiefs begin their season in Sao Paulo, Brazil, playing the Los Angeles Chargers. Kansas City then plays the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants ("Sunday Night Football") and Baltimore Ravens. Florio suggested that with a hearing date of Sept. 30, Rice would likely start any suspension the Chiefs' Week 5 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars on "Monday Night Football." "At a time when many think the league favors the Chiefs, situations like this will not become evidence to the contrary," Florio said. While the early slate of games is impressive for the Chiefs, their schedule is jam-packed with heavyweight matchups. The next four games after Week 5 include the Detroit Lions ("Sunday Night Football"), Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders ("Monday Night Football" and Buffalo Bills. While the league has some explaining to do as to why it chose Sept. 30 as the date, it's hard to see why the Chiefs would have an advantage by losing Rice for those games.
Taylor Swift's New Song 'Ruin the Friendship' Sparks Blake Lively Speculation Amid Legal Drama
Swifties are buzzing over Taylor Swift's newly announced song "Ruin the Friendship," with many wondering if it's a nod to a rumored rift between the pop star and longtime friend Blake Lively. The speculation comes as Lively is locked in a high-profile legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni. The track, listed on Swift's upcoming album The Life of a Showgirl — set to drop Oct. 3 — was revealed during her appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce's "New Heights" podcast. According to Yahoo, some fans quickly linked the title to reports that Swift had distanced herself from Lively after Baldoni named her in his since-dismissed $400 million defamation suit. In court documents, Baldoni accused Lively of using Swift's influence to gain creative control of the film and even shared alleged texts in which Lively referred to Swift as one of her "dragons." Lively has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and running a smear campaign against her — claims he denies. Evidence Shows Taylor Swift Wrote Song Before Lively Drama Began While the theory gained traction online, the timeline tells a different story. Swift shared that she wrote The Life of a Showgirl during the summer of 2024, while touring Europe, months before Lively's allegations became public in December. "I'd do three shows, take a few days off, fly to Sweden to record, and then head back to tour," she said on the podcast, ENews said. Adding to the doubt, Swift and Lively were last seen together in October 2024 on a double date with Kelce and Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds. The couple also attended Swift's Eras Tour earlier that year. In January 2025, a source told E! News that rumors of a falling-out were "not true." Swift, who has been friends with Lively for over a decade and is godmother to her four children, has often publicly praised the "Gossip Girl" alum. In past interviews, she even said Lively and Reynolds were among the first to hear her new music. While Swift's lyrics have often drawn from personal experiences, "Ruin the Friendship" could easily be about something else entirely. Neither Swift nor Lively has commented on the speculation.
Jimmy Garoppolo's pass to Davante Adams draws attention for wrong reasons
Jimmy Garoppolo and Davante Adams have been reunited on the Los Angeles Rams, and the star receiver may have nightmares over one throw that came his way on Thursday. The Rams and New Orleans Saints held a joint training camp practice on Thursday. At one point during an 11-on-11 scrimmage, Garoppolo floated a pass toward Adams into traffic over the middle of the field. Adams did not make the catch, and for good reason. He was between three defenders and was fortunate that hitting was not allowed. Otherwise, he probably would have gotten throttled. It is possible that Garoppolo threw the pass knowing Adams was not going to be hit by a defender. The veteran quarterback would probably think twice about making a throw like that during an actual game — or so Adams hopes. Adams was one of the players featured on the Netflix documentary series "Receivers" last year. During one of the episodes, Adams was shown ranting about Garoppolo when the two were teammates on the Raiders. Adams was heard saying he needed to get out of Las Vegas "before I lose my (expletive) life." The six-time Pro Bowl receiver also said he had "never been hit this many (expletive) times in my career." Garoppolo is now the backup with the Rams and has been taking first-team reps while Matthew Stafford nurses a back injury. Adams said in an interview last month that he loves Garoppolo and chalked any previous issues up to everyone being "pretty miserable" when the Raiders were losing. The Rams are hoping Stafford will be fully healthy by Week 1. If he is not, Garoppolo may have to play. The quarterback had better get those so-called "hospital balls" out of his system in training camp.
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