Despite Jonathan Kuminga’s Unhappiness, Warriors Owner Joe Lacob Wants to Keep the 22-Year-Old

The drama surrounding Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors finally seems to have concluded. It wasn’t a secret that Kuminga desired a fresh start on a different team. Since free agency started, speculations about which teams the 6-foot-8 forward could play for next season have taken over the news. The most likely series of events, however, would consist of Kuminga’s most undesirable outcome.

Restricted free agency has put plenty of talented players at a stalemate with their organizations. Josh Giddey, Cam Thomas and Quinten Grimes are all players who share the same ongoing struggle as Kuminga. The main difference is that those players actually want to return to the team they last played for.

Although Kuminga hasn’t outwardly said he doesn’t want to be in Golden State, he has flirted with that sentiment.

“Kuminga believes accepting the Warriors’ two-year offer with a team option, along with forfeiting trade veto rights, cedes too much control to a franchise he believes has stunted and strung his career along for four seasons,” ESPN insiders Shams Charania and Anthony Slater said.

Kuminga hasn’t notably received the opportunities he would have wanted in Golden State set up. This is not a situation that is likely to change, considering Jimmy Butler plays his position. The 7th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft believes he has the capabilities to be a star, something certain teams do as well. The Sacramento Kings, for instance, have reportedly been aggressive in their pursuit of the young Congolese forward.

The Athletic’s Sam Amick originally reported that the Kings have expressed the most interest in Kuminga. Their sign-and-trade offer for Kuminga consisted of Malik Monk and a lottery-protected 2023 first-round pick.

NBA insider Evan Sidery revealed that one significant change from the Kings’ side would result in the Warriors accepting the offer.

“If the Kings remove protection from their 2030 first-round pick offered to the Warriors for Jonathan Kuminga, the trade will be done,” Sidery said.

As high as the Kings are on Kuminga, the true wielder of power is the Warriors. Despite Kuminga’s clear frustrations with the team, Warriors owner Joe Lacob doesn’t want to part ways with the young star.

“The broad context is that Joe Lacob remains a fan of Kuminga’s and is determined to either keep the 22-year-old on the roster or get real value in return. And he’s willing to wait it out,” Tim Kawakami said.

At the end of the day, Lacob has immense power as the owner of the franchise. If he truly believes Kuminga should play a bigger role in the rotation this upcoming season, he can make it happen whether head coach Steve Kerr wants to oblige or not.

Kuminga’s relationship with his head coach doesn’t seem to be the best, but that isn’t the case with Lacob. Following the Warriors’ second-round exit to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the two attended a Golden State Valkyries game courtside.

If it wasn’t for Lacob, Kuminga may very well be off the roster by now. For any Warriors fans hoping that Kuminga stays with the team and reaches his full potential, Joe Lacob may be the deciding factor of whether that becomes a reality.