NBA Trade Rumors: Warriors 'Very High on' Jonathan Kuminga's Potential After Loss
April 17, 2024
While there are some major changes that could be coming for the Golden State Warriors after their season ended with a 118-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings in the NBA play-in tournament, Jonathan Kuminga's performance may have made him too valuable for the team to move on from.
Per ESPN's Zach Lowe, Golden State's brain trust is "very high" on Kuminga's potential going forward as he is eligible to sign a contract extension this summer.
The Ringer's Logan Murdock echoed Lowe's report, while adding the in-season complaints from Kuminga about his playing time "suggest that he and the Warriors may not see eye to eye about his role."
Murdock also noted some analysts believe Kuminga could land a deal that pays him $30 million per season if he hits the open market.
There were rumblings in the middle of the season that Kuminga might be looking for a way out of Golden State.
The Athletic's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported on Jan. 5 that Kuminga "lost faith" in head coach Steve Kerr after keeping him on the bench for the entire fourth quarter of a 130-127 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Kerr explained after a win over the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 5 he did need to do a better job of getting Kuminga on the floor during crunch time, but "these are really difficult decisions" to make within the flow of a game.
"Because it's not just as simple as how many minutes a guy plays," Kerr said. "It's who's playing, what's the combination, what's happening in the game."
On the same day, Kuminga told reporters he had a one-on-one meeting with Kerr that "went really well" and allowed both of them to explain their position:
"I think it was just all about better understanding of each other. More communication. ... Just us having that conversation today made me more comfortable that any time I have something to ask, I should just go up to his office. His door is open. Go up there and chill and wait for him to come back whenever. I think that's what it's all about—communication every single time if something is going wrong. Communication is the key."
The Warriors have Kuminga under contract for $7.6 million next season. He seems likely to be a key part of their future, especially given the age and contract status of other key players for the organization.
Klay Thompson is going to be the biggest question mark. He went scoreless on 0-of-10 shooting in the loss to Sacramento. The five-time All-Star shook off another slow start this season to finish averaging 17.9 points per game on 38.7 percent three-point shooting, but the 2024-25 campaign will be his age-34 season.
Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green are the only other key starters under contract next season. Chris Paul and Kevon Looney have partial guarantees. Gary Payton II has a player option for $9 million.
This summer could be a chance for the Warriors to do a bit of a reset with their cap situation. They paid $382.5 million between player salaries and luxury tax this season to lose in the play-in tournament after being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs last year.
Kuminga enjoyed the best season of his career in 2023-24. He averaged 16.1 points on 52.9 percent shooting, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in 74 appearances.
Combine those stats with the fact that Kuminga will be 22 years old next season, it would make sense for the Warriors to make his contract a priority this summer.