The Warriors came up with multiple offers. In return, Jonathan Kuminga and his agent, Aaron Turner, came back with a few. But there is a non-negotiable from both sides which have halted these talks. JK wants a player option to control his future to a certain degree. Anything aside from that, Kuminga and his camp want a greater sum. The Warriors have till date only baulked at those demands, pointing to their roster of veterans to explain how every bigger contract came with only team options, or such as in Draymond Green’s case, a considerable drop in salary.

But why such rigidity for the player’s end? Turner came to answer these questions on Hoop Collective. And their persistence is due to the “sacrifice” Kuminga is willing to make. Earlier, every other sign-and-trade opportunity gave Jonathan Kuminga the promise of ‘spreading his wings’. However, with the Warriors, he is limited by the system. The franchise rejected offers from the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns, simply because they believe Kuminga is worth more than what they offered.

Then there’s also the open understanding that his future is uncertain. “You’re going to have to not have the ball as much. you’re going to have to stay away from developing certain parts of your game or wanting to lean into certain part of your game… So, part of it is you’re going to have to sacrifice your game from where other people would allow you to do for now his fifth year. Um, in addition to that, he might get traded. He knows that. We know that. They know that,” Turner explained on Hoop Collective.

That’s where it all lies. Jonathan Kuminga doesn’t mind staying. He is willing to help Stephen Curry in his last window to compete for a championship. However, the 22-year-old also wishes to have some security. In doing so, the fifth year player would be sacrificing a lot. Other teams have forwarded promises of making him a franchise cornerstone. Hence, all Kuminga wants is some help at the “back end of the deal” for the sacrifice he is making.

After all, he is looking at having consistent playing time, and an opportunity to do something bigger. The problem of course lies also in the fact that the Warriors seemingly have every intention of trading him the moment they receive an offer they consider worth his value. Agreeing to any contract that does not grant him any control over his future, whether that be in the form of a no-trade clause or a player-option, opens the door to a move he may not even want. That, and the fact that the current market is extremely difficult for free agents has undoubtedly played a hand in Kuminga not making a decision wrt. his future thus far.

 A rough market for free agents

It’s hard to recall a time that NBA free agency didn’t play an advantage for teams. There were only a handful of teams with cap space to capitalize. But more than that, there wasn’t a list of coveted free agents to target. The market was dominated by restricted free agents using their leverage. Cam Thomas didn’t budge and signed the qualifying offer. Josh Giddey was able to get a $100 million extension. Amidst this, Kuminga stands in the same boat.

Turner spoke about the nature of this year’s offseason. And he felt it is a story of “circumstances”. With this client, it’s a tough situation to navigate. He shared his thoughts about the same.

“You know the combination of how they finished you know uh Jimmy coming in Steve’s you know having a hard time figuring out the combinations that would work with JK on the floor. Steve openly stating that many times as he you know and also after the season. Um and hen JK’s developmental arc and what he’s looking to do and you know where he wants to go. All these things um have made this very very challenging outside of you know of course no free agent market but us finding a deal with them,” Turner shared.

The 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) introduced stricter penalties for teams operating below the salary floor, removing a previous incentive for rebuilding teams to hoard cap space. As a result, most teams are spending to meet the salary floor or are already in the luxury tax, limiting available space for major free agent acquisitions. That has further hampered a potential market for Kuminga.

What they do know though is that there is interest in the player. Not only the Kings and the Suns, but Turner notes that several other teams made their pitch to Jonathan Kuminga. That’s the reason the qualifying offer or a ballooned one-year deal sound enticing. If it’s for focus on his career, he could be a unrestricted free agent next season and have a no-trade clause. It’s practically full control. But they are also trying to work with the Warriors and help them.

How will that look? It won’t be long until we find out now.