An NBA champion dropped a massive hint on their future after their fallout with the Golden State Warriors.
Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors have been in a heated contract negotiation all summer. This has stalled the Warriors’ summer plans, and the two parties remain far apart from agreeing on a deal.
The Warriors will not come up from their offer of around $45 million over two years, meanwhile Kuminga accused Golden State of stunting his growth, and appears to seek a move. He is a restricted free agent, however, meaning the Warriors would have to agree to that.
He does not have much mobility, but Kuminga’s recent Instagram post may have revealed which of his limited options he wishes to explore.
Jonathan Kuminga post reveals intentions in Golden State Warriors saga
NBA Insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints said that Kuminga has three potential options for his future. Either he takes the Warriors’ two-year, $45 million offer, wait for a better offer, or take a $7.9 million qualifying offer for one season.
The Warriors offered the 22-year-old a one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer in June. That would allow him to play one more season, for much less money, before hitting the free agency market in 2026. The Warriors would then have the right to match any future offer for Kuminga this offseason.
Kuminga’s Instagram post hints at this being his preferred option. He posted to his story, “I’ll bet on myself all day”, tagging his agent. That suggests he plans to take the qualifying offer.
That would be betting on himself. Kuminga would take less money, hoping to play well and secure a bigger, long-term deal with another team next summer. It would also hit the Warriors hard, as they would no longer be able to seek a trade and get assets in return for him.
Golden State look to build around Steph Curry for one more title run, and this would be a huge blow to their chances.
Jonathan Kuminga names preferred destination
According to ESPN, Kuminga wants to join the Sacramento Kings. NBA reporter Marc Spears said, “The Kings are offering a starting spot. He’s talked on a Zoom call with Scott Perry, BJ Armstrong and also with Doug Christie. He’s in. He wants to go there.”
The Kings are reportedly attempting to build a relationship with Kuminga in an attempt to sign him next season, should he sign the qualifying offer.
Another team interested is the Phoenix Suns, who have put together a trade package for him after they traded Kevin Durant, and paid Devin Booker this offseason. The Suns would be willing to give up Royce O’Neale, Nick Richards and four second-round picks for Kuminga.
The Suns would also be interested in signing Kuminga in free agency, although that looks unlikely now he has declared his interest in joining Sacramento.
NBA Insider ShamsCharania reported that Kuminga has offers worth up to $90 million over four years from the Suns and Kings, so perhaps betting on himself for another season would be the best move for the long-term.