NBA Rumors: Jonathan Kuminga 'Currently' Unlikely to Get Warriors Max Contract Offer

If Jonathan Kuminga desires a max contract from the Golden State Warriors, he might have to keep waiting for an offer to come.

Per The Athletic's Anthony Slater, the Warriors aren't "currently prepared" to extend the full five-year max offer to Kuminga and there "hasn't been significant progress toward a deal" to this point.

Slater didn't rule out the possibility that Kuminga might be willing to accept a lucrative offer for less than the max that would also benefit the team:

"That doesn't mean there isn't a reasonable middle ground—perhaps in the $30-ish million per season range as the deadline nears. Nobody can say for sure what will happen if Kuminga is presented a concrete, life-changing financial offer and the Warriors come to believe the deal will age well enough as the salary cap projects to skyrocket. There have been tentative extension discussions between the sides, league sources said, but a clear divide remains."

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said last month on the No Cap Room podcast (h/t HoopsHype) that Kuminga and his representatives were seeking a full max offer, but it's "really hard to get that number" unless you're a bonafide All-Star player due to the new apron restrictions.

Kuminga's career is certainly on an upward trajectory since being selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He had a breakout season in 2023-24 with career-highs in scoring average (16.1), rebounding (4.8) and field-goal percentage (52.9) in 74 appearances as a 21-year-old.

Despite that performance and his age, the Warriors are right to be shy about immediately jumping into a major financial commitment with Kuminga. The sample size of high-level play is very small considering he has played in 211 games over the past three seasons.

If Kuminga is closer to the player he was during his first two seasons, the Warriors would be stuck with an albatross that would significantly hinder their ability to make any other moves.

The Warriors are also operating from a position of leverage. Even if the two sides don't reach agreement on a long-term extension by the Oct. 21 deadline, Kuminga will only be a restricted free agent next offseason. Golden State would have the right to match any potential offer sheet he might receive.

There is plenty of pressure on Golden State going into the 2024-25 campaign after missing the playoffs last season. The team did get a commitment from Stephen Curry when he signed a one-year, $62.6 million extension on Aug. 29 that keeps him under contract through 2026-27.

If Kuminga can take another step forward, he could be the difference for the Warriors getting back to the postseason. If that happens, the five-year max offer will almost certainly be waiting for him if it doesn't get signed before the start of this season.