A former Los Angeles Laker has been offered to the Golden State Warriors for a disgruntled NBA champion, but the Warriors have said no.
The Warriors’ offseason has been overshadowed by contract negotiations with an unhappy Jonathan Kuminga. Golden State offered Kuminga a contract worth $45 million over two years, but Kuminga said the Warriors stunted his growth, so he wants out.
Limited cap space around the NBA means he cannot sign elsewhere, so the Warriors have been exploring trade options for Kuminga. But they said no to this former Laker.
Golden State Warriors turn down Sacramento Kings trade offer for Jonathan Kuminga
The Sacramento Kings, who have spoken to Kuminga about the potential of him signing in 2026, offered Malik Monk and their 2030 first-round pick (lottery protected) to the Warriors for Kuminga, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
Monk, who played for the Lakers in 2021-22, was second in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2024, and has seen his career take off in Sacramento. He averaged a career-best 17.2 points per game last season with the Kings.
The Warriors would happily welcome Monk, but the sticking point is over the draft pick. The Kings want to protect the pick and the Warriors want it unprotected, so the teams are stuck in a stalemate.
Golden State are now unlikely to pursue a sign-and-trade for Kuminga, who is likely to sign a $7.9 million qualifying offer and explore free agency in 2026. That means the Kings wouldn’t have to give up Monk to bring in Kuminga, and Golden State would lose him for nothing.
Golden State Warriors cannot trade for superstar thanks to Jonathan Kuminga saga
Not only have Golden State put off signing Al Horford as they attempt to resolve Kuminga’s contract negotiation, they are now handcuffed going into 2026.
The Milwaukee Bucks are worried about the Warriors signing Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their ability to trade for him should Antetokounmpo ask out of Milwaukee is now hamstrung.
They do not have the contracts on their books in order to match the salary of a big-name player such as Antetokounmpo if they do not sign Kuminga to the $45 million deal. They would be forced into trading Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, leaving them with no high-end talent around Steph Curry.
Furthermore, if Kuminga walks for nothing in 2026, they will have gotten nothing in return. They could trade him now and receive some young talent and draft picks to make a run at the championship in Curry’s final years.
The Warriors want to maintain cap space for 2027 in case Antetokounmpo leaves Milwaukee, hence why they offered Kuminga a two-year deal. But in doing so, they won’t be able to make moves in the near future.