Jonathan Kuminga Wants Player Option on Warriors Contract amid Rumors, Agent Says

The Golden State Warriors can end their stalemate with Jonathan Kuminga if they make one key change to any of their most recent proposals.

Appearing on The Hoop Collective Podcast to discuss the situation, Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, told ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Anthony Slater his client would accept a two-year or three-year offer if they changed the team option for the final season to a player option:

"If [the Warriors] want to win now, if you want a guy that's happy and treated fairly who is a big part of this team, we believe, moving forward, you give him the player option," Turner said. "You do lose a little of that trade value [giving that up]. But if it's about the here and now, you give him that. You don't get a perfect deal, but you get a pretty good deal and he gets to feel respected about what he gets and we all move on and worry about winning, helping Steph [Curry]."

Slater and Shams Charania reported on Monday that Golden State's most recent offer to Kuminga was for three years and $75.2 million, with a team option for the final year.

There is also a standing offer of two years and $45 million that Kuminga has a "lack of interest" in because of the team option for the second year.

Slater also noted the Warriors extended a deal with no options worth $54 million over three years.

Despite rumors about a potential sign-and-trade deal earlier in the offseason, that seems to be fading away because the Warriors aren't satisfied with the offers they have received.

Per The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings have expressed interest in acquiring Kuminga.

Amick noted the Warriors want Sacramento, which has proposed a deal sending Malik Monk and a 2030 protected first-round pick to Golden State, to drop the pick protections completely.

Including a team option in the contract would presumably make Kuminga more attractive in a trade because it would give an acquiring team certainty that he would be there for the full length of the deal instead of having to worry about giving up an asset or two for a player who might only be around for one full season.

Turner did say there's "a lot of upside" for Kuminga in taking the qualifying offer if the Warriors don't change their proposals. The one-year tender would pay him $7.9 million for the 2025-26 season, while allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

A resolution could come by Oct. 1, which is the deadline for restricted free agents to sign the qualifying offer. League rules do allow for the deadline to be pushed back if the player and team agree to do so.