Jonathan Kuminga chose the Minnesota Timberwolves because they offered something he could not find during five turbulent seasons with the Golden State Warriors: certainty.
How long that partnership lasts is considerably less clear.
Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, described Minnesota as an ideal place for his client to start, play through mistakes and rebuild his value during an appearance on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back.” But Turner also openly discussed the teams that could possess salary-cap space when Kuminga can return to free agency next summer.
“I would say on paper next year for Jonathan Kuminga is a way better free-agency year for him,” Turner told Chandler Parsons. “There’s a lot of teams with money.”
Turner then identified the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls, two teams that previously pursued Kuminga.
“The game board is set very, very well for JK for 2027,” Turner said.
Turner stopped short of saying Kuminga plans to leave Minnesota. Nevertheless, his comments reinforced what the contract’s structure already suggested: The Timberwolves could be a one-season proving ground rather than a long-term destination.
Jonathan Kuminga Receives Starting Promise From Timberwolves
Kuminga signed a two-year, $12.4 million contract containing a player option for 2027-28. He can decline that option next summer and become an unrestricted free agent.
To get there in a stronger negotiating position, Kuminga must turn Minnesota’s belief into consistent production.
Turner said the Timberwolves presented a “clear-cut” plan for Kuminga to start at power forward beside LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. More importantly, coach Chris Finch promised patience when Kuminga inevitably encounters difficult stretches.
“I’m not running away from you,” Turner said Finch told Kuminga. “I’m riding with you.”
That assurance mattered after Kuminga spent much of his Warriors tenure moving in and out of Steve Kerr’s rotation. The former No. 7 pick has never entered a season with an unquestioned starting position.
Edwards also helped recruit Kuminga, encouraging his former playoff opponent to come to Minnesota and disprove lingering questions about his game.
Yet Kuminga will not command star-level usage on a lineup built around Edwards and Ball. His next payday could depend on defending multiple positions, running the floor, cutting decisively and producing efficiently without monopolizing the ball — many of the same things Kerr and the Warriors wanted from him in the first place. The difference is Minnesota has promised him a starting job and the freedom to grow through his mistakes.
Draymond Green’s Warning Looms Over 2027 Plan
Finch’s promise also runs directly against the concern Draymond Green raised after Kuminga signed.
Green warned that Kuminga’s bargain contract could make him Minnesota’s easiest lineup adjustment if the new starting group struggles.
“My only worry for JK is that if it’s not working, you’re the first plug that gets pulled,” Green said Friday on The Draymond Green Show.
Green called Kuminga’s approximately $6 million salary “bench-role” money. Minnesota has invested substantially more in its other starters and projected sixth man Ayo Dosunmu.
That dynamic places added importance on Finch honoring the patience Minnesota sold during its recruitment.
Kuminga passed on richer offers from the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers to control his future. He is wagering that one productive season with a contender will lead to the lucrative contract that has eluded him.
If the gamble works, the Timberwolves will have landed one of the NBA’s best bargains — and perhaps helped Kuminga price himself out of Minnesota after only one year.
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