Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga might be on the move to get paid.
Golden State was unable to secure the 22-year-old talent on an extension, and negotiations aren't getting any easier in the Bay Area this summer. Drafted No. 7 overall by the Warriors in 2021, Kuminga currently averages a career-high 16.8 points, five rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season as his rookie contract soon reaches its end.
“They couldn't come to an agreement in extension talks because there was such a gap,” The Athletic’s Anthony Slater told Run It Back on FanDuel TV.
If Jonathan Kuminga is too expensive for the Warriors this offseason, could he be going to Brooklyn? 🧐@anthonyVslater explains how a team like the Nets could get Kuminga out of Golden State after the season ends.@MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/hIGKJTlNpZ
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 23, 2025
Co-host Chandler Parsons noted in response that Kuminga’s price has likely increased based on his recent production, though Slater pushed back on FanDuel’s flagship NBA show questioning the money available in free agency and the league’s overall belief in the fourth-year forward.
One team is still all it takes.
“Brooklyn is a name I’ve heard,” Slater added. “They’re a team with space. They’re a team that could use kind of a young, on-the-rise potential wing star, if Brooklyn believes he is going to turn into that. Part of his upbringing was in Brooklyn. Yes, his price tag goes way up if a team like Brooklyn is willing to go in.”
In terms of what an offer sheet could look like this offseason, Slater projects Kuminga in the $25-35 million per year range. Golden State may not be willing to make that commitment going forward, allowing Brooklyn to become welcome territory for the former New York (Our Savior New American) and New Jersey (The Patrick School) high school basketball standout.
Kuminga, who won a championship with Golden State in 2022 at just 19 years old, understands the sacrifice required to play alongside generational pieces and climb the mountain top — valuable commodities for a rebuilding franchise looking to restore balance to its culture and foundation.
In the meantime, No. 00 won't be back in action for weeks as he recovers from a severe right ankle sprain that’s sidelined him since Jan. 4. Slater mentioned on the Warriors Plus/Minus Podcast that the 6-foot-8, 210-pound wing still hasn’t advanced to serious on-court work, yet remains present and in positive spirits. Only a week prior to the injury, Kuminga posted back-to-back games with career-high, 34-point outbursts, shooting better than 57 percent from the field each contest.
Mentioned within the podcast: Jonathan Kuminga remains weeks away from a return. Ankle still wrapped and he hasn’t advanced to any real court work. This was a bad sprain. Could be talking post All-Star break. He’s been around and in positive spirits. https://t.co/pwetWCkR3V
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 24, 2025
Evolution of Jonathan Kuminga
2021-22 (16.9 MPG): 9.3p / 3.3r / 0.9a / 51.3 FG% / 33.6% 3PT
2022-23 (20.8 MPG): 9.9p / 3.4r / 1.9a / 52.5 FG% / 37% 3PT
2023-24 (26.3 MPG): 16.1p / 4.8r / 2.2a / 52.9 FG% / 31.1% 3PT
2024-25 (26 MPG): 16.8p / 5.0r / 2.2a / 45.9 FG% / 34.5% 3PT
“I think he’s been playing pretty well,” Warriors owner Joe Lacob told The San Francisco Standard on Dec. 15. “He’s been doing better. He’s getting better. He’s contributing a lot to our success. There are nights you could say he’s been our second-best offensive weapon. He’s a good player. We like him a lot.”