Kings and Warriors renew Jonathan Kuminga trade talks as deadline nears
There is a growing sense of urgency for the Golden State Warriors to resolve the summerlong Jonathan Kuminga saga with two key dates fast approaching.
Training camp starts Tuesday. The deadline for Kuminga to accept Golden State’s qualifying offer is Wednesday.
Time is running out for the two sides to reach an agreement that could ease the strain on a tenuous relationship, but there is still another possibility.
Sources told The Athletic’s Sam Amick the Kings and Warriors renewed talks earlier this week regarding a sign-and-trade deal that would bring Kuminga to Sacramento. There was “no significant progress” in those negotiations, but the Kings haven’t given up in their pursuit of the 22-year-old restricted free agent forward.
Sacramento is offering Kuminga a three-year, $63 million contract and an enticing opportunity as part of a sign-and-trade deal that would send Malik Monk and a lottery protected 2030 first-round draft pick to Golden State. The Warriors want an unprotected pick and are reluctant to take Monk, whose $21.5 million player option for the 2027-28 season could hinder their plans for financial flexibility in the summer of 2027. Sources told The Athletic the Warriors would likely try to trade Monk if they acquire him in a deal with the Kings.
The Kings might be able to convince the Warriors to make a trade if they lighten the protections on the draft pick, but they probably won’t be willing to concede much.
Kuminga has until Wednesday to take Golden State’s qualifying offer, a one-year, $7.9 million deal that would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Once the deadline passes, he will be limited to sign-and-trade scenarios or one of the multiyear offers the Warriors have given him.
Golden State has reportedly presented Kuminga with multiple offers that would pay him $45 million over two years or $75 million over three years, but Kuminga wants a player option in the final year of the deal while the Warriors are insisting on a team option. That would leave Kuminga in a precarious position with little control of his future and lingering doubts about his role under coach Steve Kerr.
Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, discussed the stalemate with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Anthony Slater on “The Hoop Collective” podcast.
“(There is) no guarantee he starts any games,” Turner said. “He may, but we don’t know. Finishing games, night to night, who knows? It depends if Steve has a combination he likes, and it’s working, maybe he sticks with it, maybe he doesn’t. You’re going to have to not have the ball as much.
“You’re going to have to stay away from developing certain parts of your game, or wanting to lean into certain parts of your game, especially shooting any kind of midrange jump shots, which is something JK does work on, but in the Golden State offense and the roles he’s in, that’s not going to be a big shot that he’s really going to be able to take much. So, part of it is you’re going to have to sacrifice your game, from what other people would allow you to do, for now his fifth year.”
Turner noted that Kuminga sees an opportunity for growth in Sacramento after meeting with Kings general manager Scott Perry and coach Doug Christie.
“He’s gotten a chance to hear from other teams,” Turner said. “Sacramento, he spent some time with them, got to meet Scott Perry, Doug Christie. The (Phoenix) Suns and what they’ve offered him, and there’s been other teams, too, who may be planting seeds for 26-27, but saying, ‘Hey, we want you to be you. We don’t want you to change anything. We want to put the ball in your hands. We want to give you a huge opportunity to play.’
“So I don’t think it’s more about not wanting to be on the Warriors, because the Warriors, having repped guys on all different teams, it is as first-class as it gets. Everything there is awesome – from the facility, how they treat the guys, it’s amazing – but these other places are offering him other opportunities to start games, finish games, know your role, (saying) ‘We don’t want you to change anything. We want you to continue to develop and spread your wings.’”
