Jonathan Kuminga Spoke to Steph, Draymond, Jimmy Butler During Warriors Contract Talks
Jonathan Kuminga said he consulted with a number of his teammates during his lengthy contract stand-off with the Golden State Warriors, including Buddy Hield, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry.
"I spoke to Buddy. I spoke to Draymond. I spoke to Jimmy. I spoke to Steph. All of them. I had a 20-plus type of conversations of how contracts work, how to feel about certain things. They were teaching me certain things," he told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. "We had a [players] team camp out there in San Diego. I did not go. That's when I had to speak to Jimmy and tell him how things were going and that I can't get there. He's one of the guys that really understands where I was coming from because he's been through contract situations. And me and Steph had a long, long talk and I really appreciate that. Me and Draymond, obviously we always talk, but we had a long talk after he was coming back from China. They just gave me hope and patience for sure. I felt like I was comfortable after talking to them. You've always got to hear from certain outlets and they're the ones that I really needed to hear from."
Kuminga, 23, was one of several restricted free agents this offseason who found themselves engaged in a lengthy negotiating process. Ultimately, the Warriors and Kuminga agreed on a two-year, $48.5 million deal with a team option on the second season.
While it was a raise over the $7.9 million qualifying offer he could have signed, it was otherwise a fairly team-friendly accord, allowing the Warriors to keep him as a trade chip (the qualifying offer would have included a full no-trade clause) while bypassing the second year of the deal if things go south.
Kuminga had limited leverage, with most teams short on cap space. That meant no offer sheets were submitted, though there were rumors of teams interested in a sign-and-trade. But the Warriors held the cards there too, needing to agree on a trade package, which obviously didn't occur.
Given Kuminga's imperfect fit next to players like Butler and Green, it's very possible he'll ultimately be traded. His role was inconsistent once Butler was acquired last season, as he appeared sporadically in the first round series against the Houston Rockets before taking on a larger role in the second round against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"I don't ask [head coach Steve Kerr] about roles because I know what he is going to tell me," Kuminga told Spears. "I don't waste my energy. I choose not to ask because nobody is going to tell me. It's whatever. You just have to find ways to do things when you get out there. Make plays, defend. I don't have a consistent role. I just play a role where I make sure I play defense and run the floor."
Kerr acknowledged that Kuminga is an "interesting fit" on the team but added that "the thing I keep telling him is he can play a role for us, absolutely, with his size, speed and athleticism" and that he hopes he will "embrace the idea that he can be a part of something special."
