Jonathan Kuminga bet on himself when the Atlanta Hawks moved on. The former NBA champion entered free agency chasing a payday of around $20 million per year. The Los Angeles Lakers showed interest, but the Minnesota Timberwolves changed everything by swooping in. Now, Kuminga has his opportunity. Yet, this gamble comes with one major risk.
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On The Draymond Green Show, the Golden State Warriors veteran who shared the locker room with JK shared his concerns.
“My only worry for JK is that if it’s not working, you’re the first plug that gets pulled. And that’s not always; it can create a riff if what you signed up for was the opportunity to be the fifth starter,” Green said.
“When you go to a team on a lower-level salary, in this case the taxpayer mid-level, when that happens, and you go to a team and all of a sudden that starting lineup isn’t getting off the great starts,” the 36-year-old explained. “The analytics say this group isn’t working that well together for whatever reason.”
According to Draymond, Jonathan Kuminga’s move to the Minnesota Timberwolves carries plenty of pressure.
LaMelo Ball will make $40 million in 2026-27, while Anthony Edwards earns $48.9 million. Rudy Gobert follows at $36.5 million, and Jaden McDaniels gets $26 million. Kuminga, meanwhile, will earn $12.4 million. That gap could matter when the lineup faces early problems.
If the Timberwolves struggle, Kuminga may have less room for mistakes. Minnesota could look toward its higher-paid stars before protecting his place. That creates a tricky situation for a player who expects to start at power forward. His role could become vulnerable quickly.
Moreover, a reduced role could bring frustration because Jonathan Kuminga chose this opportunity believing he would have a clear path into the starting five.
“What happens in these situations sometimes is you’re promised the starting role, and it doesn’t always go that way. And a team can end up doing it because of the salary that you’re on, which is why salary is so important in the NBA in negotiating,” Draymond added.
That weakness was particularly evident in Minnesota’s 2026 second-round loss to San Antonio, when the Spurs disrupted Edwards’ rhythm and forced the Wolves to find other ways to generate offense. San Antonio won the series in six games.
Moreover, the San Antonio Spurs exposed the team’s gameplay in the 2026 playoffs. Therefore, a new and dynamic core seemed like the only way out. So, Tim Connelly and Matt Lloyd reshaped the roster during a busy summer. LaMelo Ball arrived, while Ayo Dosunmu returned to strengthen the bench. Meanwhile, Randle and Reid moved to Brooklyn and Charlotte, respectively.
Now, Jonathan Kuminga has joined on a 2 year, $12.4 million contract with a player option. This decison will either make his career or throw it at risk, as Draymond Green’s concerns don’t seem so invalid after all.