Kuminga shares a 2024-25 season option amid Warriors contract negotiations originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Jonathan Kuminga won’t let his Warriors contract uncertainty affect his approach to the 2024-25 NBA season.
Kuminga is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and although extension negotiations between his camp and the Warriors began in July, a deal has yet to be finalized.
For many, the uncertainty that comes with contract negotiations is enough to serve as a distraction, but that won’t be the case for the promising 21-year-old.
“My approach is to be great,” Kuminga said (h/t 95.7 The Game). “That’s always the main focus. A lot of people don’t think like that, they don’t know that, but [for] me, my approach is to be great and just have as much fun as I can this year.”
Last season, Golden State’s fourth-year forward took his game to another level, average 16.1 points on 52.9 percent shooting, with 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 26.3 minutes in 74 games (46 starts).
With the deadline for his extension set for October 22, Kuminga’s plan for next season also includes enjoying his development process.
“Just having fun, being a sponge, being someone they can count on at certain times, you know,” Kuminga added. “That’s my approach this year: just try to do as much as I can. I don’t force anything, I don’t try to be who I’m not. I just stick to what I know how to do. That’s pretty much my approach.”
If Kuminga and Golden State do not reach an agreement before the deadline, the promising forward will become a restricted free agent next offseason.
But that would not hinder Kuminga’s chances of becoming a long-term Warrior, as general manager Mike Dunleavy and Co. would have his rights during free agency.
For now, Kuminga is looking at his size, not his next payday.
