The standoff continues on the eve of media day and training camp.
As the Golden State Warriors head into training camp with 9 officially-rostered players — and verbal agreements with Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II, as well as signing 2025 draftee Will Richard to a four-year contract and agreeing to a two-way contract with fellow second-round pick Alex Toohey, bringing that number to an unofficial 14 — there’s still the matter of Jonathan Kuminga to be resolved.
Until a resolution is found, the Warriors will continue to be shorthanded in training camp — and Kuminga will opt not to travel to the San Francisco Bay Area, per a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater.
“Kuminga did not travel to San Francisco this weekend and won’t be in attendance for media day on Monday, league sources told ESPN. General manager Mike Dunleavy made contact with Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, on Sunday, but there’s no momentum toward a Kuminga contract or return prior to the team’s first practice on Tuesday.”
In an effort to entice Kuminga away from what is considered the nuclear option — the $7.9 million qualifying offer that will give Kuminga a virtual no-trade clause and allow him to enter unrestricted free agency next summer, in exchange for leaving money on the table — the Warriors haven’t pulled any of their standing multi-year contract offers, per Charania and Slater’s report.
“The Warriors have kept their three outstanding offers on the table, sources said. The two most lucrative — two years, $45 million and three years, $75.2 million — include team options on the final season and the only offer without a team option is for three years and $54 million.”
However, the Warriors offering a team option instead of the player option that Kuminga desires — a “sign of goodwill” from his point of view that will provide him security and assurances after “years of confusion about his role” under head coach Steve Kerr — remains the point of contention between the Warriors front office and Kuminga’s camp.
Additionally, sign-and-trade talks with the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings currently “don’t have any traction,” per the report.
Kuminga’s qualifying offer expires on Wednesday at 11:59 pm ET.
Category: General Sports
