$45M rejected, contract in limbo: Kuminga’s future with Warriors in question
May 10, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) celebrates after scoring against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter during game three in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Jonathan Kuminga continues to make headlines in the San Francisco Bay Area. A restricted free agent for six weeks, the 22-year-old Congolese power forward still hasn’t reached an agreement with the Golden State Warriors for his contract extension.
According to ESPN, the Warriors recently renewed their $45 million two-year offer to Kuminga, but it was rejected by the player and his team. The two sides haven’t had contact for several weeks, creating a complete deadlock.
A controversial offer dividing both parties
The Warriors’ offer, while financially attractive with a starting salary of about $21.7 million, contains several problematic clauses for Kuminga. The second year would not be guaranteed and would be a team option, giving Golden State complete control over the player’s future. Additionally, Kuminga would have to waive his no-trade clause.
« Golden State, according to sources, is not open to changing its position on the second year of the two-year, $45 million offer it made to the 22-year-old swingman. The Warriors insist the second year be a team option; Kuminga would naturally prefer a player option, » Jake Fischer reported in his article on Stein Line.
For his part, Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, had presented the Warriors during Summer League with a three-year, $82 million contract framework, a proposal that would offer more security and control to the player over his career.
The qualifying offer as a last resort
Facing this impasse, Kuminga holds a trump card: accepting the $8 million qualifying offer for one season. This option would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and freely choose his destination. However, this strategy carries significant financial risks, especially in case of injury.
Other franchises, like the Sacramento Kings – who reportedly offered Malik Monk and a protected future first-round pick – or the Phoenix Suns have shown interest. But this wasn’t enough to convince Golden State to accept a sign-and-trade.
The stalemate could last until September, or even until the October 1st deadline to accept the qualifying offer. For the Warriors, this would be a worst-case scenario: Kuminga would become free to make his own choices, and the team would lose both control over their young talent and any possibility of getting assets in return via trade.
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