New day. But not a new beginning for Jonathan Kuminga. There has been no update on his future in the last 24 hours. Or the last 48 hours. Or the last week. The Sacramento Kings did provide a glimmer of hope that this saga might finally have a solution, but that evaporated as quickly as their last offer to the Warriors. Golden State straight up rejected the Kings’ offer of Malik Monk and a restricted first-rounder in exchange for Kuminga. That was probably the best offer the Warriors will get all summer for Kuminga, so either they are playing 4d chess and all this is part of some big ploy, or it was just a dumb decision. Regardless, the Kings shoot their shot, and their fans have given the verdict.

‘Locked on Kings’ host Matt George recently discussed the Kings’ offer for Kuminga on his YouTube channel. He had sent out a poll for his subscribers to find out what their take was on the Kuminga saga. One fan commented, “Yes, including an unprotected, uh, just include the unprotected first round pick”. The second one said “Yes, but not at any higher price than the Monk and protected first round pick offer that was most recently reported”. The third response said “No, unless it’s a steal for the Kings, meaning probably like that Dario Saric, uh, Devin Carter package”, and the fourth said “Not at all. Don’t want Kuminga. Go and look for a different player. I’m not playing the Warriors game”.

The results showed him that “52, nearly 53% of people” like where things are right now, and would agree to trade Malik Monk and a high-protected first-round pick for Jonathan Kuminga. Meanwhile, 11% of people just wanted the deal to get done, while “31 and a half percent of people” chose the 3rd option.“Seems like the majority of the fan base is content with how the Kings are playing this Kuminga situation. Okay, we sweetened the pot a little bit. We’re not going any further than this. We would love Kuminga on the Kings, but he’s not the end-all be-all. And I’m glad that fans feel that way because that’s clearly how the front office feels,” said George.

The Sacramento front office had been under serious fan pressure, and the criticism was directed towards how easily they fold during trade negotiations and don’t get the best deal for the franchise. But fans are lauding their current stance on the Kuminga trade. “And Kings fans have been hollering and calling for a front office that doesn’t get pushed around, that doesn’t get taken advantage of. Well, Scott Perry is clearly not allowing the Warriors to take advantage of him to get out from the messy situation that they created. So, I was pleased by this answer, uh, from Kings fans”.

In the unlikely event that this deal goes through, the Kings will get, as NBA reporter Mark-Morales Smith said, “a talented 22-year-old forward with a ton of upside and room to grow if he can get out from under Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler in Golden State”. It would also mean Malik Monk’s time at Sacramento will be over. Monk has been on the chopping block ever since he signed a four-year, $77.98 million deal last year. According to Dallas Hoops Journal, the decision to cut ties with Monk was earlier based on the Kings’ desire to open up a spot for Russell Westbrook. But now, he’s being used as a chip in any move for Kuminga.

The Warriors cannot play the ‘game of chicken’ for long. If a decision on Kuminga is not made soon, Adam Silver can impose fines on the team.

Jonathan Kuminga’s uncertainty prevents the Warriors from reaching the 14-player minimum requirement

For now, the Golden State Warriors have only 9 guaranteed contracts locked in for the 2025–26 season. Meanwhile, other NBA teams have reportedly filled the 14th and 15th roster spots and even signed guys up for training camp invites. Excluding two-way contracts, rules require teams to possess a minimum of 14 players on the 15-man roster. If that doesn’t happen, then the team would violate Article 29 of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The Warriors are stuck on finishing their roster, thanks to being in a holding pattern with Jonathan Kuminga. After all, as NBA reporter Kurt Helin highlighted, “Golden State doesn’t know precisely what it has to spend until Kuminga’s contract is on the books”.

The Warriors are reportedly looking to sign free agent Al Horford for at least the taxpayer midlevel exception ($5.7 million). The actual amount can’t be determined yet since, as NBA Insider Jake Fischer said, “depending on where the Warriors land in a cap/tax situation, I believe he (Horford) is slated to make upwards of the full taxpayer mid-level exception. There has also been some discussion about whether or not he could potentially be receiving a two-year deal with a player option as well”.

To get to Horford, and then subsequently other potential targets, the team has to deal with Kuminga. The Kings are adamant, and the Warriors want to avoid breaking the rules. Whether this will be enough to get an agreement between the two teams is something that remains to be seen.