Jonathan Kuminga’s offseason feels like watching a movie trailer where the main character is sprinting through the rain… but you have no idea if he’s running toward triumph or straight into another plot twist. He’s drenched in sweat, hitting midrange pull-ups, hammering dunks, posting in the gym at all hours, and yet, somewhere off-camera, his contract situation with the Golden State Warriors is just sitting there, arms crossed, refusing to budge.

Over the weekend, Warriors World on X added fuel to the fire, dropping shots of Kuminga hooping with the caption: “The work continues as the contract stalemate continues.” Which, well, translates to that his body’s locked in, but his future, on the other hand? Not so much. And hey, no surprises there really, but wait till you see the verdict.

Golden State offered him two years, $45 million with a team option in year two, which the front office conveniently pitched as “tradeable” for future flexibility. That’s GM-speak for, “We love you, but also… you’re not bolted down,” no? Under that setup, the Dubs could flip him mid-season after Jan. 15. Unsurprisingly, Kuminga’s camp swatted that away like he was defending the rim. They countered with three years, $82 million, the kind of deal you give a franchise pillar, not a mid-season trade chip. And since then?

Nothing but static. Per Anthony Slater, Kuminga’s told his inner circle that the $7.9 million qualifying offer next summer is more appealing than the current Warriors pitch. That’s high-stakes poker for a 22-year-old who just averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds this season, shooting 45.5% from the field. But it’s more than just a Kuminga vs. front office showdown. This standoff trickles into everything else. 

If the Warriors shell out for him, what happens to Al Horford, Gary Payton, and De’Anthony Melton’s potential role next year? Every dollar tied to Kuminga changes how Golden State can build around Steph Curry’s shrinking championship window. Even the style of play is part of the debate. Kuminga’s explosiveness and downhill attacks have been the Warriors’ highlights, but inconsistency, turnovers, and streaky defense have kept Steve Kerr cautious in crunch time. Do you pay for the flashes, or for the total package you hope he becomes?

And still, the Oct. 1 deadline creeps closer. Ten days have passed without movement from the Golden State Warriors. Kuminga’s back from a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, training in Miami, and likely checking his phone to see if Bob Myers’ replacement is ready to make a better offer. And then came the take that no one saw coming.

The offseason chaos of Kuminga and fans no one saw coming

Because if you thought the contract table was tense, scroll through the mentions. One fan went straight for the scouting report: “0 for 3 on things he needs to work on. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him playing 5 on 5 in an off season. Not once.” Translation: gym selfies don’t count. Ouch, man. But then another chimed in with veteran-skeptic energy.

“Show him playing a full 5 on 5 in practice… Even Brad Wanamaker can have such solo highlights… 😂 Dude needs to just lock-in on defense… and learn how to not commit easy turnovers…” The implication? We’ve seen this highlight reel before, and it doesn’t win playoff games. And it didn’t stop there. Because then came the comedic dunk.

“Dunk contest is his only path to redemption now,” GIF of “delulu is the solulu,” included, naturally. Dub Nation really doesn’t hold back, do they? Because others weren’t as playful, commenting, “Working on bulls— as always” and “allat just to do a post move and turn it over or complain to refs” made sure any optimism was thoroughly dunked on.

The gap between Jonathan Kuminga’s view of himself and how some of Dub Nation sees him feels wider than Chase Center’s baseline. And if this deal doesn’t get done before Oct. 1, that gap might turn into a chasm. Because the thing is, every day the pen stays off the paper, this turns from a contract negotiation into a full-blown Warriors subplot… and Golden State already has enough drama in their rotation chart.