New
Warriors Want Kuminga Back, But Contract Decision Is ‘two-way Street'
Warriors want Kuminga back, but contract decision is ‘two-way street' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – After getting bounced from the NBA playoffs earlier in the week, the Warriors immediately changed direction and started making plans for the offseason.
While maybe not the most important decision facing general manager Mike Dunleavy and coach Steve Kerr, a significant summer storyline is what to do with Jonathan Kuminga.
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga will be a restricted free agent in the offseason and is likely to garner some attention from rest of the league after a high-profile showing in Golden State’s Western Conference semfinals loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He has the freedom to sign with any of the 29 other NBA teams, although the Warriors have the option to match any offer to keep Kuminga.
Dunleavy sounded optimistic about getting a new contract done but stopped shy of saying it’s a done deal.
“We will look at everything,” Dunleavy said Friday at Chase Center. “It’s hard to know two days after the season’s over where it’s all headed. I know where I see him as a player. I know how it can work with him here. I know how we can work with him better.
“But in terms of guessing how it’s all going to play out or what the contract might look like, I’d be totally guessing at this point to conjecture on anything”
Kuminga didn’t have much of a presence his first two seasons in the NBA, and many around the league began to question his worth.
That talk started changing last season when Kuminga became a regular starter and had career-high averages in scoring (16.1), rebounds (4.8) and shooting percentage (52.9).
The 2024-25 NBA season was more of a bittersweet campaign in a lot of ways . Kuminga averaged 15.3 points with 4.6 rebounds, and was much more aggressive attacking the rim and shooting behind the arc despite missing more than a month due to an ankle injury.
He also had to adjust to the arrival of Jimmy Butler before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. That cut Kuminga’s minutes and forced him to accept a backup role. The situation lingered most of the season, forcing Kerr to continually mix and match his lineups.
Kerr envisions Kuminga playing more with Golden State’s star players if he comes back.
“If JK comes back we will, for sure, spend the early part of the season playing him with Jimmy, Draymond [Green] and Steph [Curry]. To me that would be a no-brainer,” Kerr said. “We did not have the luxury of just experimenting and giving that more of a runway. If JK comes back next year we have to look at that for sure.”
Kuminga’s up-and-down wavering stock soared in the playoffs after Curry limped out of Game 1 against the Timberwolves with a hamstring injury.
Without Curry, the Warriors were desperate for scoring. Kuminga answered the call effectively, proving his value while averaging 20.8 points a night against the Wolves.
Kuminga’s postseason surge was a welcomed sight, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Warriors from getting eliminated from the playoffs.
With all that swirling in the background, the Warriors are staring at the possibility of seeing Kuminga’s growth continue — but in different jersey.
“I thought he had a really good year,” Kerr said. “He was really coming into his own before he got hurt. When he came back he was not in rhythm. He was not the same player he was when he got hurt. That put kind of a little bit of an obstacle in our way as we’re trying to get to the playoffs and advance in the playoffs. It felt [like] square peg, round hole for us. So we went away from JK as part of the rotation and he handled it really well.
“For him to stay ready, stay positive and then get his chance … played well in these last four games of the Minnesota series, speaks highly of JK and his approach. All in all, he’s a guy who’s got a lot of talent and ability. Still growing, still raw in many ways.”
Dunleavy would prefer that growth continue with Golden State, although reports surfaced early this week that the Warriors are actively seeking a sign-and-trade.
“As far as bringing him back next season I think it’s something that we’re very interested in doing,” Dunleavy said. “When I look at things that JK does well in terms of getting to the rim, finishing, getting fouled, these are things we greatly need. We know he can bring those things to the table. It’s not hypothetical, it’s not a guy in the draft that we think can do it. He’s shown for four years he can do that, so for that reason we’ll try to bring him back.
“It’s a two-way street in terms of getting a new contract and all that. We’ll see where that goes.”
