Jonathan Kuminga is the topic of conversation that the NBA world can’t seem to get out of its head. Due to signing a contract extension with the Golden State Warriors over the summer to return on a two-year, $48.5 million deal, he can’t be traded until January 15th, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming perhaps the most talked-about player in the league over the past few months.
Kuminga’s future in Golden State is all but certain; sometime between January 15th and the February 5th trade deadline, he will be traded to some team that feels he can help improve their situation, whether that be a realistic thought or not.
But throughout the past few months in which the 23-year-old has been mock traded to a majority of teams across the league, one major issue has prevailed, that being the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement.
Based on the agreement made between the Players’ Association and the league itself, there are very strict guidelines on restricted free agency, which, as seen over the past few months, have had a direct impact on Kuminga and his future with the Warriors, and the NBA in general.
In fact, his teammate, Draymond Green, has spoken out about this issue in the past, yet still, the agreement between the players and the league has created this Kuminga situation that has taken over the NBA world, and while the Warriors aren’t doing themselves any favors by leaving him on the bench for weeks at a time, it isn’t all their fault.
Kuminga Named ‘Biggest Loser‘ Of Restricted Free Agency
NBA restricted free agency is both simple and extremely complicated. In simple terms, a restricted free agent can resign with their current team, with that franchise able to match any offers given by teams around the league. Basically, it allows teams to have a better chance at resigning their own players rather than having them walk and move to whoever has the most cap space, or a better situation for said player.
Well, that was the situation Kuminga dealt with over the summer, and while Golden State attempted to make a sign-and-trade with both the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, neither deal came to fruition, and he ended up returning to the Bay Area after a lengthy stalemate, one in which both parties still didn’t seem happy.
But, as Nick Friedell, Tony Jones, and Joel Lorenzi, all of The Athletic, discussed, the current CBA set the tone for how the situation between Kuminga and Golden State played out. After a lengthy discussion on him and the other restricted free agents this summer, which included Quentin Grimes, Josh Giddey, and Cam Thomas, they all came to the agreement that both Kuminga and the Warriors have ended as the biggest losers from this entire saga.
“My vote for the former is Kuminga and the Warriors, who are both waiting on someone to bet on Kuminga,” Lorenzi wrote on the biggest losers from this restricted free agent cycle.
“It’s got to be the Warriors for the unhappiest part. The Kuminga questions have hovered over them all season — hell, for several seasons,” Friedell wrote.
“Kuminga and the Warriors are the biggest losers because Kuminga was a top-10 pick and had star potential,” Jones added.
Warriors, Kuminga Trade Rumors
While it doesn’t take an expert to see that neither the Warriors nor Kuminga has benefited from this entire situation over the past six months, that doesn’t leave them with a solution. All signs point to him being traded as the only way both parties move forward, but for now, that has yet to happen.
It’s posturing season. He’s very available, but Warriors are at least saying they’d be willing to keep Kuminga into summer if nothing appealing enough materializes.
According to recent reports, the Kings, Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers, and New Orleans Pelicans all seem interested in Kuminga. Sacramento immediately stands out considering their long-term interest, but the price they are willing to pay for him has reportedly gone down, likely due to head coach Steve Kerr’s consistent reluctance to play him.
However, Golden State has been linked to Trey Murphy of the Pelicans, a player who could come in and reshape the current Stephen Curry-led squad. Kuminga would certainly be involved in a deal for Murphy, but the Warriors would likely have to give up more than just him to gain one of the league’s top trade targets.
The same sentiment is true for Michael Porter Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets. He could also revamp Kerr’s lineup, but with the massive $78 million remaining on his contract over the next two years, Golden State would likely need to include multiple assets, including Kuminga, in a deal for the Most Improved Player award candidate.
A team like the Dallas Mavericks, which appears close to implosion, could also be in the mix, but for now, the Warriors will continue to scour the trade market to find the best return for Kuminga, the unanimous biggest loser of restricted free agency.
Jonathan Kuminga Named ‘Biggest Loser’ Amid Warriors Trade Rumors