Inside The Warriors

Why Has Jonathan Kuminga Not Yet Signed with Golden State Warriors?

As the offseason holdout between both parties continues, the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga are running out of time
Matt Guzman|
May 10, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) and guard Gary Payton II (0) warm up before Game 3 of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center.
May 10, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) and guard Gary Payton II (0) warm up before Game 3 of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Chase Center. | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

In this story:

Golden State Warriors

A valuation discrepancy sits at the heart of the Golden State Warriors' offseason. Months after it began, still no end is in sight.

"Kuminga, league sources said, still has visions of becoming an All-Star," The Athletic's Anthony Slater (now with ESPN) wrote of Golden State's holdout with Kuminga near the start of the offseason. "Not fitting into an ever-moving mid-tier rotation role."

"He wants to be a featured player in an NBA offense and chase the 20-point-and-beyond dreams he’s spent his life chasing.”

Warriors' Kuminga Holdout Continues

In a recent report from ESPN, Kuminga and Warriors owner Joe Lacob met in Miami for an in-person meeting in mid-August. The pair, in their first interaction of the offseason, exchanged intentions.

Lacob wanted to know if Kuminga wanted to be in Golden State; Kuminga wanted to know if Lacob wanted him there.

"The four most relevant parties — Lacob, Dunleavy, Kuminga and Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner — convened for what felt like the most significant conversation of a Warriors' offseason stuck in the mud," ESPN wrote.

The result was further understanding. Yet a deal remains to be seen.

As the Warriors continue to gauge their roster, Kuminga is unlikely to play a large role. If he is brought back, it won't be for long — not even one season can be a given.

Last year, Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 47 games. He shot 45.4 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from 3. Still, he feels he brings more to the table as an individual. So he continues to wait.

"Turner and Kuminga are holding out in case something more appealing — via contract offer or sign-and-trade — materializes," ESPN wrote, "in part because of a belief in how imperative it is for the Warriors to avoid having him on the qualifying offer."

If Kuminga does decide to take a qualifying offer, he'd all but finalize his goodbye to Golden State next summer as an unrestricted free agent.

Perhaps the relationship between him, the Warriors and Steve Kerr will have improved by then. But while Golden State still has any sort of leverage over the situation — Kuminga is currently a restricted free agent — it'll look to take advantage.

So it continues to wait, too.

Related Articles

Published
Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

Home/News