With just over a week before his $7.9 million qualifying offer expires, Jonathan Kuminga and the team still haven’t reached an agreement, leaving fans and insiders on edge. The good news? The team—and its star players—haven’t given up hope of getting him back on board.

Kuminga’s holdout isn’t just a headline—it’s holding up the Warriors’ entire offseason. Signings with veterans like Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, and even a possible reunion with Seth Curry are all in limbo until his deal is finalized. Every move the front office wants to make is essentially on pause, showing just how much the team’s plans hinge on locking in their young forward. Yet, a former NBA champ believes Kuminga’s teammates aren’t losing sleep over the standoff.

On the Club 520 Podcast, Jeff Teague gave fans some reassurance about the Warriors’ locker room vibe around Kuminga. “They all veterans, they know he trying to lock in his money. They ain’t gonna be mad at him,” he said. In other words, the young forward’s peers—including the team’s golden trio of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green—understand what’s happening and aren’t holding any grudges, according to Teague.

That understanding appears to be real, too. According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, citing league sources, Curry, Butler, and Green have actively been pushing to get a deal done. Siegel wrote, “All three stars want Kuminga back on the roster, as his athleticism, durability, and production can’t be replicated. If lost, Kuminga’s void will be felt throughout the 82-game season.”

Their verdict underscores just how much the trio values Kuminga—especially considering his 2024-25 numbers: 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and a 45.4% shooting clip—proving his impact on the court can’t be easily replaced.

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson added more color on the trio’s involvement. On the Dubs Talk podcast, he said, “When is basketball going to take over? That has to be the thoughts of, in my eyes, the three veteran stars: Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler. I can confidently say that Jimmy Butler has also reached out to the team and been like, ‘What’s going on here? I just wanted to know the plan.’” It’s clear Butler isn’t just waiting—he wants clarity and action.

Siegel emphasized that it’s not only Butler advocating for Kuminga. The trio as a whole has consistently pushed Golden State’s “brain trust”—front office figures like Mike Dunleavy Jr. and owner Joe Lacob—to finalize the deal. As Siegel put it, Curry, Butler, and Green “all hope to have Kuminga back,” signaling that any hesitancy from the organization isn’t shared by the team’s most important players.

Jonathan Kuminga considers qualifying offer amid Warriors’ standoff?

A few weeks back, the Golden State Warriors tried to settle their summer-long saga with Kuminga by sweetening the deal. The 22-year-old forward was offered a three-year, $75.2 million contract—the biggest the franchise has reportedly put on the table for him. It moved the team option to the third year and removed the no-trade clause, but even with the extra cash, Kuminga hasn’t signed anything yet. The qualifying offer, still on the table at $7.9 million for one year, remains a real possibility if no agreement is reached.

According to Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, the young star is seriously considering taking that qualifying offer. Turner explained on The Hoop Collective, “He will take the QO. But if he’s treated fairly, and in our mind that’s flipping [team option] to [player option], he’s back, and then we don’t have to talk about the QO. But the QO is real. It’s something that JK wants to take. It does have upside. You’re not getting traded. You’re going to have unrestricted free agency.”

Basically, Kuminga wants the flexibility to bet on himself next offseason while still keeping Golden State in the mix. The sticking point all along has been the team option versus the player option. The Warriors have refused to give Kuminga a player option on the back end, insisting on a team option instead. Turner laid it out clearly: “He wants to pick where he wants to go and the opportunity to be an unrestricted free agent in a way better market. … But it’s not something anybody wants to do.”

Even after the Warriors added a third year to the offer, JK held firm. The three-year, $75.2 million deal with a third-year team option, a two-year, $45 million offer with a second-year team option, and a lower $54 million three-year offer without any options—all have been rejected so far.

Kuminga’s goal isn’t to leave Golden State; he wants the ability to grow into a bigger role if another team presents a better opportunity. Last season, he started just 10 of 47 games, and in his career, he’s never started more than 46 games in a season despite averaging 16.1 points on 52.9% shooting in 2024, though he dipped slightly to 15.3 points on 45.4% last year. The $7.9 million qualifying offer gives him a chance to bet on himself next year, test the market as an unrestricted free agent, and still stay with the Warriors if he chooses.

At this point, all eyes are on Kuminga, the clock is ticking toward October 1, and the summer standoff may finally move into the fall—but one thing’s clear: he’s holding all the cards.