The second month of NBA free agency is nearly over, and the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga still appear far apart on a resolution. Kuminga wants a big new contract, while the Warriors have held firm on a two-year deal worth $45. That would make it an easy contract for them to trade.
That is significantly more than the $7.9 million qualifying offer that he may opt to take, but he may instead prefer to hit free agency next summer and pick his next team. Him picking his next team appears to be key to Kuminga's contract demands.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle's Ron Kroichick, Kuminga believes he is an All-Star caliber player but hasn't had the opportunity to prove it. That's likely delusional even if there's some truth to it.
He has yet to have a consistent role in the NBA, with Warriors coach Steve Kerr obviously not a fan of Kuminga's game. If he were to come back next season, that likely wouldn't change, with his role being similar to what it was last season.
Jonathan Kuminga must leave the Warriors to reach his full potential
Without a larger role, it's difficult to prove what he can actually do without a runway to expand his game.
That would probably lead to only increased frustration, but that may be the most likely outcome with Golden State not entertaining trade talks, shutting down the option of him starting next season elsewhere.
Then again, Kuminga will have all the motivation in the world to play well next season for Golden State, whether on a one-year deal or two-year contract. That would be great for the Warriors, who have an older team that is desperate for their young players to step up and play a big role.
However, if Kuminga is in Kerr's doghouse, that puts a ceiling on how much he can contribute and thus a cap on how much he can build up his stock around the NBA. From his perspective, it is easy to see why he would want out of Golden State with his future seemingly elsewhere.
On the other hand, the Warriors can't just let him walk for nothing but they have limited leverage too. If Kuminga doesn't sign an multi-year deal then the Warriors can't trade him without him signing off on the deal first.
That makes a trade much harder if and when he were to sign the qualifying offer and puts both sides in a stalemate without a simple solution.