Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga Says He'll Bet On Himself 'All Day' Amid NBA Rumors
Golden State Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga sent a pretty clear message as he continues to wait for what he believes is a worthwhile contract offer.
"I'll bet on myself all day," he wrote in an Instagram story while tagging his agent, Aaron Turner.
ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported Wednesday that Kuminga "is continuing to decline" an offer of $45 million over two years.
"Kuminga's decision is due in large part to the Warriors' insistence on having a team option for the second season and their unwillingness to let him maintain the built-in no-trade clause, sources said," the report read.
The trouble for the 22-year-old is that he's at the mercy of both his restricted free agency and a market where teams don't have a lot of money to spend. The Warriors can match whatever offer sheet he signs, and it doesn't look like another suitor is prepared to put so much cash on the table that Golden State lets him walk.
The Athletic's Fred Katz canvassed 16 executives around the NBA to gauge Kuminga's value. Their projections averaged around $20.4 million annually, and 10 of the respondents suggested a contract spanning two years.
One exec described a "compromise" solution that's exactly the terms reportedly on offer from Golden State: two years and $45 million.
If Kuminga really wants to bet on himself, he can sign the $7.9 million qualifying offer. Even if his production in 2025-26 is on par with what he did this past season (15.3 points on 45.4 percent shooting along with 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.8 steals), he'd become an unrestricted free agent next summer and have the freedom to explore all of his options.
The risk to that approach is that Spotrac estimates the Brooklyn Nets will be the only team with actual salary cap space. Free agency may not be any more robust than it was this offseason.
In general, it feels like Kuminga is left to select the least bad path from a group of multiple suboptimal choices.
