The Warriors didn’t extend Jonathan Kuminga’s contract before the October 21st rookie contract deadline and his future in Golden State remains uncertain with just two months left till the trade deadline. As trade rumors increase centering Kuminga, Gilbert Arenas issued a warning to the Congolese forward, advising him to not count his eggs before they hatch.
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“You’re a basketball player and then there’s a business,” the three-time All-Star said on his podcast Gil’s Arena, “So, you can take this and feel undervalued and you go and play. If I [the Dubs] take this contract back, you are now playing under my rules.”
Arenas, as a former pro and a long-time analyst, has seen several players in Kuminga’s situation. He believes that if the 22-year-old can’t put pen to paper soon, then the front office will have leverage over him. Gil warned JK that if Steve Kerr decides to bench him for the remainder of the season, that would significantly affect his output and force him to sign a lower-value contract.
“I wanted to give you $155 [million], now you’re coming off the bench, now your 13 points a game off the bench has another number to it. And that b**ch might say 4-years $100 [million]. And then, when I give you 4-years $100, guess what I’m going to do? Give you back the keys. You can take 20 motherf***ing shots now,” Arenas explained.
Agent Zero wants Kuminga to use whatever value he has right now to sign an extension in the hopes that the Dubs organization will repay the favor in the next extension if he really manages to elevate his game significantly after the signing. Instead, if he choses to try out the market by counting on a leap from the second half of the season to bump his worth, then he undertakes the high risk of actually getting devalued if Kerr puts him back in the bench like last season.
After all, the coaches have full control over the amount of touches a player gets. And if they can save money by reducing Kuminga’s involvement until the extension, then they can very well do that.
Arenas’ advice to Kuminga, therefore, was simple — “Do not lose $90 million trying to get $10 million. You gotta think of it like that.”
“Don’t lose $90 million trying to get $10 million.”
Gil breaks down the Kuminga and Warriors contract negotiations. pic.twitter.com/7Nghg0eajX
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) December 9, 2024
Recent reports revealed that Kuminga and the Warriors were only $5 million apart during their contract negotiations. The forward sought an annual salary of $35 million while the team was willing to offer him $30 million. And if Kuminga gambles on himself for those additional $5 million, he stands to lose a lot more.
Jonathan Kuminga can learn from Dennis Schroder’s mistake
It’s been a growing phenomenon in recent years where players reject high-value contracts in the hopes that their subsequent performances will increase their worth in the market. Most infamously, Dennis Schroder suffered from this approach to signing an extension.
In 2021, fresh off the heels of their championship run, the Lakers offered Schroder a 4-year $84 million extension during his first season in LA. However, at the advise of his agent, Alex Saratsis of Octagon, the German guard turned down the offer.
He would come to regret it soon, as he would only sign a 1-year $5.9 million deal from Boston the following season before returning to the Lakers on a $2.6 million annual contract.
This year, the Toronto Raptors signed the veteran guard to a 2-year $26 million contract, but it’s still just a small portion of what he would have earned from the Lakers’ initial offer. If nothing, his situation can serve as a warning for players like Jonathan Kuminga.
