Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors have been at odds for a while. His role and value to the team still haven’t been figured out. By the end of the 2024–25 season, things got so bad that he didn’t play for most of the first-round series against the Houston Rockets. He was only called upon later, in desperation, when Stephen Curry was injured. Now, months later, Kuminga’s camp wants out of Golden State amid a major contract standoff.
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Kuminga reportedly wants $30 million a year and has also hinted that he has no desire to play for the Warriors again. However, as a restricted free agent, the Dubs’ front office still holds most of the power. They extended a qualifying offer to the former seventh overall pick and will have the opportunity to match any deal he receives from another team.
As for the Warriors, they’ve expressed interest in signing and trading Kuminga on a smaller deal in the $20 million range. So far, the Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls have emerged as strong trade partners, with Ayo Dosunmu being a possible target in return for Golden State.
NBA insider Brett Siegel revealed on X (formerly Twitter), “Kuminga’s camp wants a big deal in the $30M+ range and don’t want to be back with Warriors. Golden State wants a small deal in $20M range where they can flip him because there’s no market. Dubs still holding out that a S&T with Bulls can happen. Ayo Dosunmu is a good player.”
Kuminga’s camp want a big deal in the $30M+ range and don’t want to be back with Warriors.
Golden State wants a small deal in $20M range where they can flip him because there’s no market.
Dubs still holding out that a S&T with Bulls can happen. Ayo Dosunmu is a good player. https://t.co/YTpZxhIqKw
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) July 19, 2025
The massive $10 million gap in negotiations has stalled progress. In theory, a team could step in and offer Kuminga a $30 million contract, especially since the Warriors don’t seem willing to match it. But it would be a risky move, given that he’s still only 22 and largely unproven.
That’s why Siegel believes a deal could get done if Kuminga lowers his asking price a bit. After all, there is mutual interest in moving on. “If Kuminga’s camp comes down on their price a little bit and can agree to something in the $25 million range with a trade kicker, they can get where they want before the trade deadline,” Siegel tweeted.
$25 million would, indeed, be a lot more realistic for a player of Kuminga’s skill level. Some other players around the league making that much per season include Trey Murphy, Mikal Bridges, and DeMar DeRozan, all of whom feel similar to his level, if not slightly a step above.
Siegel also argued that because Kuminga doesn’t have too much pull and his desire for a bigger deal is dragging things out. “Because he doesn’t have a market, and sometimes in life, you don’t get exactly what you want,” Siegel stated.
It’s a hard statement to disagree with. If there were a market for Kuminga, a team would have extended him an offer by now. Instead, he’s been sitting idly by as the Warriors wait him out. At this point, it’s a matter of who gives in first.
