For many NBA teams, this offseason has been about doing all they can to catch up to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets traded for Kevin Durant, and the Bucks signed Myles Turner. The Nuggets surrounded Nikola Jokic with a better supporting cast, while the Lakers filled their hole at center with Deandre Ayton. The list goes on and on.
Advertisement
Fans of those teams have a reason to be hopeful, at least. But those in the Bay Area may not be that optimistic waiting for the opening night of the next season, which is a little over a month away.
Well, the Golden State Warriors have stood pat pretty much all summer with the Jonathan Kuminga stalemate dragging on. The Warriors have refused to commit to Kuminga on a long-term deal, which is hardly a surprise after the way he was disregarded late last season.
Former Suns star Kevin Johnson recently told Eddie Johnson and Amin Elhassan on SiriusXM NBA Radio that he empathized with Kuminga’s plight. Johnson feels for the forward all the more since he was also in a similar situation early in his career.
“When I watch him [Kuminga] play, my heart goes out to him because I was feeling the exact same way that he is probably feeling when I was in Cleveland,” said Johnson.
“My heart goes out to him…I was feeling the exact same way”
Former All-Star point guard Kevin Johnson tells @JumpShot8 & @DarthAmin why he relates to Jonathan Kuminga’s current situation in Golden State pic.twitter.com/GSDEiPZdQV
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 19, 2025
After getting drafted in 1987 by the Cavaliers, Johnson spent the first year and a half of his career in Cleveland. He averaged under 23 minutes per game and mostly came off the bench. But when he was traded to the Suns (coincidentally at age 22), his career took off.
His first year in Phoenix, he won the league’s Most Improved Player award and helped lead the Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals. Johnson believes Kuminga’s fortunes will turn for the better, too.
It felt like an inevitability that Kuminga and the Warriors would part ways after the way they pretty much refused to use him in the last campaign until the rest of the team was hurt. But then, they’ve also been unwilling to trade him despite multiple teams being interested.
Kuminga is talented, and he’s only 22. If the Warriors don’t believe in him, then they should ship him out and figure out another way to build around Steph Curry’s twilight years. A cloud will hang over the team for as long as this situation drags on.
Kuminga recently deleted his social media as negotiations continue with the team. His agent said recently that he’d be willing to take the qualifying offer and walk after this season if Golden State doesn’t give him a longer-term contract with a player option instead of a team one.
Kuminga should listen to Johnson’s advice to “Stay ready and stay positive.” He still has the potential to become a star if he can find a team that believes in him. For Kuminga’s sake and the Warriors’ as well, let’s hope a resolution is reached soon.
