Jonathan Kuminga Reportedly Asked Warriors 'Do You Even Want Me Here?' amid Rumors

The Golden State Warriors reportedly recently met with disgruntled forward Jonathan Kuminga in an effort to solve their contract dispute.

During the meeting, Warriors owner Joe Lacob asked Kuminga, "Do you want to be here?" per ESPN's Anthony Slater and Shams Charania. However, Kuminga had a question of his own.

"Do you even want me here?" he asked the Warriors brass.

Slater and Charania noted that Lacob has been "a central figure in Kuminga's NBA career since the beginning," calling him "a driving force" in selecting the wing with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 draft over someone like Franz Wagner, who now stars for the Orlando Magic and was reportedly preferred by some members of the Warriors' coaching staff.

While Kuminga has yet to take the next level to stardom, Lacob "has remained a staunch Kuminga supporter and vocal believer in his long-term future," per Slater and Charania. After the Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round, the two of them sat together courtside at a Golden State Valkyries game, and sources said that "Lacob asked Kuminga to keep an open mind about a future together."

Still, there hasn't been much progress toward a resolution, as Kuminga has refused to accept Golden State's longstanding offer of a two-year, $45 million deal, which includes a team option on the second season and would require him to waive his de-facto no-trade clause. Kuminga also has a $7.9 million qualifying offer on the table and an Oct. 1 deadline to accept it.

Time is running out for the 22-year-old as the start of the 2025-26 season approaches, so it would be wise to come to a decision sooner rather than later.