As the summer rages on, so does the drama surrounding the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga. The two just cannot seem to agree on a deal despite multiple offers being made by the Dubs. That includes a more recent proposal that the 22-year-old put an X through.
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According to insider Jake Fischer, the current issue is regarding an option. The Warriors organization offered Kuminga a two-year $45 million extension with a team option. But Kuminga instead wants to have a player option for the second year. This is what is holding things up, with Fischer’s report mentioning that the situation could be dragged out until September.
That’s kind of a tight window. Training camp for the 2025-2026 NBA season begins on September 29th, and if no deal is reached by then it nearly guarantees that Kuminga will hit restricted free agency. The odd part of this back-and-forth stalemate is that it doesn’t benefit either side.
Kuminga is currently on a one-year $8 million deal. That’s not much for the Dubs to use in trade conversation, especially since the rising star can veto any trade thanks to his de facto no-trade clause. As analyst Bobby Marks once put it, it’s a “lose-lose” situation. The Warriors would much rather trade Kuminga at a $22 million salary than an $8 million dollar one so it doesn’t mess as much with their cap.
Jonathan Kuminga wants a player option while the Warriors have held firm on a team option, per @JakeLFischer
This is creating the current impasse and this situation could drag out into September
(h/t @WireHoops) pic.twitter.com/LjYMdoIYOA
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) August 8, 2025
But what if the Warriors’ qualifying offer was a bluff? That’s what fellow NBA Insider Brett Siegel thinks. The reporter for Clutch Points broke this down in a tweet just one day ago.
“The longer Kuminga waits, the more his value declines,” wrote Siegel. “It’s a mental game. Taking the QO would be a terrible decision, as it never works well for RFAs wanting to be paid. He could take the QO, but as we’ve reported a few times now, it seems more like a bluff.”
What seems apparent is that both paries want to move on from the situation. Several teams have indicated that they are interested in Kuminga’s talents, including the Sacramento Kings, who purposefully chatted with the Dubs so that they can be considered if he does hit the RFA market.
It seems like a lot of drama for someone who was the third scoring option on the team this past postseason. But the truth is that Kuminga can add a lot of value to whatever franchise he ends up on. When Steph Curry went down he did provide an offensive spark against the Timberwolves despite the team losing the series 4-1.
One thing is for certain: if this stretches out until September the Warriors salary cap will take a hit. And with the way their season ended last year, perhaps the door on the Dubs dynasty run is finally closed.
