The Jonathan Kuminga and Golden State Warriors saga has reached its twilight. Throughout the entire summer, both parties have been engaged in what felt like a dead-end tunnel. While the Dubs front office offered the 22-year-old restricted agent a couple of deals, including a two-year $45 million and a three-year $75 million extension, both of them were rejected by Kuminga’s camp due lack of a player option in the final year. Amid this, the forward wanted to move away, but the Warriors have even put an end to that request.

According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, Jonathan Kuminga and the Bay Area franchise have yet to push back the October 1st deadline for the forward’s qualifying offer. The league states that qualifying offers can be extended if the player and the team agree to do so. However, given the severed relationship appears to be between the young talent and the Warriors, there’s no reason for them to extend that deadline. So, that means we might be seeing the Dubs star ink a new contract by Wednesday.

However, none of this would’ve happened had the Warriors’ front office accepted the Sacramento Kings’ new sign-and-trade offer. “Fischer confirms the Kings tried to restart sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga, but the Warriors aren’t interested in taking back Malik Monk in part because of his $21.5MM player option for ’27/28. The Warriors want to maintain maximum roster flexibility for the 2027 offseason, Fischer explains, when the contracts of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green expire,” Fischer reported.

The Jonathan Kuminga situation with the Warriors has grown increasingly tedious for both the NBA at large and the Warriors’ own fanbase. By now, it’s clear that under Coach Steve Kerr, Kuminga isn’t going to see the kind of full-time role many had hoped for, even if the team’s front office wants to retain him a little longer or maximize his potential. Since Jimmy Butler’s arrival, Kerr has repeatedly signaled that giving Kuminga extended minutes isn’t part of his plan, making a trade to the Kings felt like the logical solution.

But managing the Bay Area front office isn’t easy lately. The Golden State does not want to affect its flexibility by taking in Monk’s contract. On top of that, the superstar trio of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler’s contracts are set to expire after the 2027-28 season, which leaves the Dub Nation to rebuild its team from scratch. Months passed, still the Warriors’ dilemma continues even at the onset of the season.

The Warriors eye Giannis Antetokounmpo two seasons from now

While Giannis Antetokounmpo might be entering the upcoming campaign as a Milwaukee Bucks player after months of speculation around him, that might not be the case two seasons from now. Why’s that? You might wonder. Well, it’s because right now the Greek Freak is on a three-year $175.3 million contract with the Bucks, which is set to expire after the 2027-28 season. That would make the then-34-year-old forward an unrestricted free agent, allowing him to make a move anywhere he wants.

What makes this interesting is the fact that this timeline perfectly aligns with the timeline of the Golden State Warriors trio, of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green contracts. This indicates that Mike Dunleavy and Co. might be planning a massive coup to acquire the two-time MVP. There already seems to be a great bond between both parties, with Giannis Antetokounmpo stating that Steph Curry is the best player in the world and several other incidents.

So, with how the Golden State front office is moving, as they denied Jonathan Kuminga an escape, to maintain their flexibility, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise that they went all in for the nine-time NBA All-Star. After all, they will be needing a franchise player once they bid farewell to the greatest Dubs player ever, Steph Curry. Now, will that next superstar be Giannis Antetokounmpo or not? We will have to wait and watch. But before that, we can enjoy more of the Warriors’ point guard as he enters his 17th season in the league.