Did Jonathan Kuminga Fumble the Bag? Looking Back at Each Rejected Deal Before Timberwolves Contract

The Jonathan Kuminga saga is over, at least for now.

On Wednesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the former Warriors and Hawks wing agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million contract to join the Timberwolves. He’ll make just over $6 million in the upcoming season before he decides on a $6.4 million player option next summer.

That allows Kuminga to control his future and ultimately sign a new, more valuable contract next summer if he has a strong season with the new-look Wolves. A significant role will be there, as Kuminga will likely enter Chris Finch’s starting lineup alongside Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels and the newly acquired LaMelo Ball.

Minnesota was in desperate need of a forward after Julius Randle was part of a salary-dump trade that landed him in Brooklyn, plus the departure of Naz Reid in the Ball trade with Charlotte. Kuminga’s arrival allows Finch to more cleanly bring Ayo Dosunmu, fresh off a new $112 million extension, off the bench as the Wolves look to address their depth without Donte DiVincenzo for the majority of the season at minimum.

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It’s an upgrade for Minnesota, no question. Kuminga’s preference to remain in control of his future and take a gamble once again in free agency next year boosts the Wolves’ roster immediately. For Kuminga, he gets a starting role on an exciting team that should be a Western Conference contender once again.

After a rocky tenure and eventual end to his time with the Warriors, which led to a brief stint with the Hawks as a trade-deadline acquisition, Kuminga is still in search of that massive, long-term contract.

He’s turned down much more lucrative deals in order to bet on himself and make more down the road, but for now, those chips have yet to be cashed. Has he fumbled the bag? Here’s a look at each deal that he rejected or that didn’t pan out:

A look back at larger contracts Jonathan Kuminga turned down

The deal: Three years, $12 million-plus annually to join the Lakers

Why Kuminga turned it down: Let’s start with the most recent. Per ESPN and Charania, Kuminga passed on an opportunity to join the Lakers this offseason on a three-year contract that would’ve been worth somewhere in the $36 million range over the course of the deal. That would’ve sent him from Atlanta to Los Angeles through a sign-and-trade, but the fifth-year wing decided to go with a shorter-term deal with the Wolves to reroll free agency next summer. The Lakers reportedly offered Kuminga a similar starting role, but the on-court opportunity coupled with a shorter term deal in Minnesota was enticing enough to roll the dice.

The deal: Three years, $75 million to remain with Warriors (2025 offseason)

Why he turned it down: Kuminga was a restricted free agent last summer, which turned into a drawn-out process where Golden State had all the leverage. The offer from the Warriors included a team option on the final year, which would’ve put Kuminga in less control of his future. Discussions stalled into training camp and he ultimately decided to sign a two-year, $46.8 million contract with the Warriors, which also had a team option on the final season. Kuminga went for the shorter term deal as a restricted free agent so he could pursue a larger deal sooner. What followed was a strange year with the Warriors. As soon as Kuminga was eligible, he requested to be traded after he fell out of Steve Kerr’s rotation. That led him to Atlanta, where he was productive when available. However, the Hawks declined his $24.3 million team option for next season which made him an unrestricted free agent this summer with the ability to sign where he pleased.

Other reported offers: Sign-and-trades to the Kings and Suns on deals up to four years and $90 million total (2025 offseason)

These offers need an asterisk next to them because Kuminga couldn’t outright accept them due to his restricted free agent status. As talks with the Warriors dragged along last offseason, ESPN and Charania reported that Sacramento and Phoenix were most significantly involved as a sign-and-trade suitor for Kuminga with proposals up to four years and reaching $90 million total. The issue? The Warriors had the control and remained uninterested in trade packages the Kings and the Suns would send back for Kuminga. Instead, Golden State insisted he’d be on the roster to start last season, whether it was through a $7.9 million qualifying offer or the two-year deal both sides ultimately agreed upon. Charania reported that the Suns made the most lucrative push via sign-and-trade, and their proposal was nearly $70 million more in guaranteed money compared to the Warriors’ offer, but Kuminga couldn’t just go and accept it as a restricted free agent.

So, has Jonathan Kuminga fumbled the bag?

It’s too early to draw conclusions on Kuminga’s most recent decision. He could turn into a critical piece for the Wolves. Should Minnesota become a real threat in the West, he’ll undoubtedly draw suitors that would offer more expensive deals next summer. On the other hand, he took over $20 million less in guaranteed money compared to the offer that the Lakers put on the table. The Bulls and the Trail Blazers also made an offer, according to ESPN, but it’s currently unclear what the financials looked like in either proposal.

To take it a step further, if Kuminga took Golden State’s three-year, $75 million offer last summer, he’d make nearly $20 million more this season compared to his new $6 million salary with Minnesota. The Warriors’ offer had a team option on the final year of the deal, which would prevent Kuminga from controlling his free-agent status next season, but the extra dollars in his pocket would’ve helped. Worst case, Golden State (or a team the Warriors traded him to) would’ve declined the option for the third season and made him an unrestricted free agent. If the third year was picked up, Kuminga would’ve played out the 2027–28 season on a salary around $25 million, which is likely the best case scenario for him a year from now anyway.

The decision to go for the two-year deal with the team option put Kuminga in position to accept the Wolves’ offer at a small dollar amount for the upcoming season. Atlanta could’ve picked up the team option and paid him $24.3 million this year, but the Hawks chose not to.

It’s another critical season for Kuminga, who hopes to prove he’s worthy of an expensive deal next summer. At this point, he’s already in a hole compared to the declined offers from the Warriors last year and the Lakers this offseason.

Another fascinating NBA story of bag fumbling is playing out before our eyes. It’s not a definitive bag fumble yet, as Kuminga will likely run it back as a free agent in the next cycle. And if he has the year he hopes to have in Minnesota, he’ll finally have the offers he believes he’s worth hitting his agent’s inbox. We’ll see.

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