Warriors Decline Jonathan Kuminga's Counter Offer Amid Free Agency Stalemate

New reporting paints the picture for the Warriors stance on Kuminga's contract.

May 16, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (center left) talks with owner Joe Lacob (center right) during the second quarter of the game between the Golden State Valkyries and the Los Angeles Sparks at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The confusing free agency negotiations for the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga continue to take twists, turns, and stops as the offseason dwindles down.

Over the last three months, Kuminga and the Warriors have been unable to reach an agreement in restricted free agency.

"JK played one of the best games of his life." 🗣️

Steve Kerr had high praise for Kuminga, who dropped 30 PTS off the bench pic.twitter.com/Feew1weqjs

— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 11, 2025

Others around the league, such as Santi Aldama, Cam Thomas, and most recently, Josh Giddey, have all had their situations resolved as restricted free agents. Still, Kuminga and Quentin Grimes remain without a deal.

There is no doubt that Kuminga is an exceptional athletic talent at his young age, but his inconsistencies over the course of his time in Golden State have made the Warriors weary of giving him a substantial contract with their already high payroll.

New Details on the Negotiations

New reporting from Anthony Slater and Shams Charania of ESPN revealed the Warriors' tactics on their side of negotiations on Monday.

"So, Turner and Kuminga have presented alternatives. One of the latest counters, sources said, came in the past week: One year on a negotiable number, presented as a souped-up version of the qualifying offer, getting Kuminga a financial bump (up from $8 million) and unrestricted free agency next summer while wiping away the inherent no-trade clause and allowing the Warriors to use him as an expiring contract at the deadline," they wrote.

It was a CAREER night for Jonathan Kuminga in LA!

🔥 34 PTS (career-high)
🔥 10 REB (season-high)
🔥 5 AST
🔥 2 STL pic.twitter.com/gI2e1rDqa2

— NBA (@NBA) December 28, 2024

"It would serve as a bridge deal that gives both sides the ability to examine another year together, but also a much more trade-friendly salary number as opposed to the qualifying offer, which has an Oct. 1 deadline... Dunleavy declined the concept, sources said, and it is Lacob who is apparently against the balloon one-year offer, leaving the Warriors too vulnerable to losing Kuminga next summer for nothing," they concluded.

How Valuable is Kuminga?

In 47 games in the 2024-2025 regular season, Jonathan Kuminga averaged 15.3 points per game on only 45.4 percent shooting and 30.5 percent from three. Still, in a bigger role in the playoffs without Steph Curry in the second round, he emerged with big-time performances.

Sure, the 15.3 points per game in Kuminga's 2025 playoffs match his regular-season average. But the 30-point game in Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with multiple 20-point games, provides a compelling new deal.

Jonathan Kuminga : Career playoff-high 30 points (11-18 shooting, 3-4 from 3 & 5-6 from the FT line), 6 rebounds, 3 assists & 2 blocks in 36 minutes off the bench pic.twitter.com/ExWGuPZK8W

— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) May 11, 2025

Obviously, the Warriors want to have Kuminga at the right price, but with a team that is not necessarily suited for Kuminga's strengths at the forward position, is it really in his best interest to seek a small deal with them?

Time will tell, but it seems that no resolution is in sight with a few weeks left in the offseason.

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