Why Warriors are willing to wait before investing big in Kuminga originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – From CEO Joe Lacob to general manager Mike Dunleavy to coach Steve Kerr and his staff, most key figures within the Warriors hierarchy love what they think. Jonathan Kuminga can bring to the franchise.
They would like to cross over thinking Kuminga can be an NBA All-Star reach consensus in the faith that he will develop enough to reach that status.
There was, according to two NBA sources, enough uncertainty to prevent Golden State from handing Kuminga the kind of massive contract extension that would have signaled he was next in line to hold the keys to the franchise. With the deadline has passed at 3 pm PT on Monday, the 22-year-old forward will become a restricted free agent next summer.
“He made a jump last season,” one source said. “They want to see another one before they make that investment. He’s still under their control. If Kuminga has a strong season, I know they’ll look after him.”
The Warriors weren’t ready to offer Kuminga the kind of massive contract that would make him the second-highest-paid player on the books next season, behind only superstar Stephen Curry, who will make $59.6 million.
No one else on the current roster has a contract that exceeds $30 million in 2025-26, and Kuminga and his representatives, according to sources, were looking for a deal well in excess of that amount. A deal that would have considerably more impact on the payroll than those lined up for four-time All-Star Draymond Green and 2022 All-Star Andrew Wiggins.
The failure to reach an agreement with Kuminga was not a surprise. Although both sides engaged in early conversations, it was quickly apparent that figures could not be reconciled. Kuminga and his agent, Aaron Turner of Verus Basketball, are taking a risk with the hope that he will prove that he is worth the kind of contract generally afforded a franchise player.
In a recent conversation for an upcoming “Dubs Talk” on NBC Sports Bay Area, Kuminga didn’t seem particularly worried by that possibility.
“My main focus is basketball and my family,” Kuminga said. “With the contract thing, I try to keep my mind off it as much as I can, so I could just come here every day and focus on basketball. One thing I’ve realized is that there’s always business. The more you think about what’s going on, the more you’ll get mad and won’t try to focus on what’s bigger.
“I just try to stay locked in on basketball as much as possible and let my people handle those things.”
Kuminga made a big improvement last season, going from sometimes in the rotation to always in the rotation to almost locking down a starting spot at small forward. He finished as Golden State’s No. 3 scorer, averaging 16.1 points per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the field, including 32.1 percent from beyond the arc. Through 46 starts, he averaged 17.2 points, shooting 53.1 percent overall and 29.5 percent from deep.
Although Kerr hasn’t revealed his starting lineup for Wednesday’s season opener in Portland, it would be shocking if Kuminga isn’t on the floor when the game begins.
Kerr was clear about that what he wants to see from Kuminga secure his starting role and become a fixture now and in the years to come.
“The other night he played the 3 and he played fast,” Kerr said, referring to an Oct. 15 preseason win over the Los Angeles Lakers. “As soon as there was a change in possession, he sprinted. He has to do that. We can’t be a midfield team and play lineup combinations that don’t make sense in terms of spacing. But if we play fast, then a lot of that stuff is mitigated. And if we’re tough defensively, then a lot of those things are mitigated.
“He’s got to be better defensively, for sure, making sure he’s in the shell and not coming out of our shell. Making sure he’s on a leash with the other guys. He must be better at his ends; the last two games he’s been blown a few times, and we’ve talked to him about that.”
One doesn’t have to read between the lines to see why the Warriors weren’t ready to make Kuminga the heir apparent to Curry. There are still too many questions still needing answers, which is why the Warriors couldn’t feel good about making such a sizable investment.
