The Golden State Warriors are in the middle of a contract situation with Jonathan Kuminga. There are two offers in place for the 22-year-old. Either he can take a $7.9 million qualifying offer, which expires on Oct. 1 and becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2026, or he can sign the two-year, $45 million offer, with a team option for 2026-27.
The standoff with Kuminga is costing the Warriors big time. They remain the only team that still have pending transactions. This, in turn, has resulted in a roster freeze, and things could worsen if both parties can't find a middle ground.
San Francisco Chronicle's Sam Gordon suggested the Warriors sweeten their existing two-year offer. Kuminga's camp doesn't like the team option for the second year. In order to resolve this, the Warriors could adjust this deal by converting that team option into a player option.
"A two-year deal with a player option (instead of a team option) would allow the partnership to stay short term (like the standing proposal) and give Kuminga agency in a prospective midseason trade with his right to become a free agent next summer," Gordon wrote.
How Warriors benefit by doing this favor to Jonathan Kuminga?
This revised term respects Jonathan Kuminga's autonomy over his future. Kuminga secures guaranteed earnings and flexibility, while the Warriors avoid locking him into a long-term cap hit.
If this finalizes, the Warriors can proceed confidently with training camp and offseason roster moves rather than being paralyzed by the unresolved standoff.
Even at a mental level, Kuminga will be motivated to do better next season so that he can prove his worth to the team, opt out and sign a long-term deal he has always wanted. Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler are not getting any younger, so their championship window is also closing. Having someone of Kuminga's potential will only help the team that has too many veterans.