With NBA training camp just two weeks away, the Golden State Warriors’ offseason is at a standstill due to the unresolved contract situation with Jonathan Kuminga. Despite the stalemate, the team’s star trio—Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green—remains largely unfazed and aligned with the front office strategy.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania reported Monday that the stars understand and support the Warriors’ plan. “They know the strategy, sources said, and have approved that anticipated result,” Slater and Charania wrote.
Currently, the Warriors have only nine of their 15 roster spots filled. The plan is to finalize Kuminga’s contract before completing the rest of the roster, which includes veteran free agents center Al Horford, guard De’Anthony Melton, defensive specialist Gary Payton II, and potentially Seth Curry to reunite with his brother Stephen.
Cap Constraints and the Holdup
The Warriors’ strategy relies heavily on using the taxpayer midlevel exception on Horford. That move would hard-cap the team at the NBA’s second apron, leaving $22.5 million as the maximum they could offer Kuminga while maintaining a full 15-player roster. Slater and Charania noted that the figure has so far proven insufficient to entice Kuminga to accept a multiyear deal with a team option on the final year.
The Warriors did ramp up their effort with an improved offer: a three-year, $75.2 million deal including $48.3 million guaranteed over the first two seasons. While the new offer raised the stakes, Kuminga remains resistant to the team option on the final year. During this period, Butler and Green actively checked in on Kuminga, gauging his plans and mindset as the Warriors attempted to resolve the stalemate.
Stars Speak on Kuminga
Getty Stephen Curry talks to Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors.
After the Warriors’ season ended in a Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in May, Green addressed Kuminga’s contract situation: “Obviously, JK has got the contract situation. Always wishing him the best with that. I’ve been in that situation. Whether it’s here or elsewhere, I just wish him the best.”
Curry praised Kuminga’s resilience during the rotation challenges. “That’s tough for any player, let alone a young guy who’s trying to figure it out in the league. So I commend him on just staying ready,” Curry said. “See what he did in the last couple of games. That’s not easy to do, not knowing if your number’s gonna be called, and then go out there and perform.”
Kuminga responded impressively in the final four games Curry missed due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, averaging 24.3 points on 55.4% overall shooting and 38.9% from 3-point range.
“So I’m proud of the way that he’s handled it,” Curry added. “The hope is that the future is bright for him, whether it’s here or wherever, and knowing that he’s a guy in this league that can continue to climb that ladder on his own pace. So I think he’s going through a lot that most people haven’t in four years and he’s seen a lot, so hopefully he’s better because of it.”
Criticism and Concerns
Getty Jonathan Kuminga could potentially derail the Golden State Warriors‘ season.
Former NBA champion and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins voiced concern about the potential impact on the locker room. “It’s going to affect the locker room that’s trying to win or have intentions on winning the championship,” Perkins said on the Sept. 12 episode of the NBA Today.
Perkins highlighted Kuminga’s difficult journey under previous coaching and management: “Steve Kerr showed how he felt about him when he was out of the rotation during the Play-In Tournament, in the first round against the Rockets. I understand Mike Dunleavy is now running things in the front office, him and Joe Lacob, but Jonathan Kuminga wasn’t a Mike Dunleavy pick; that was a Bob Myers pick.”
The Warriors’ front office faces mounting pressure to resolve the Kuminga situation before training camp begins on Sept. 29.
How Golden State navigates this high-stakes scenario could determine not only Kuminga’s future but also the chemistry and championship ceiling of a team that includes Curry, Butler, and Green.
Warriors Stars’ True Feelings on Kuminga Stalemate Revealed