The Jonathan Kuminga saga has been flaring up in recent days with several reports from NBA media, but the latest from The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami doesn’t offer much optimism for those hoping that Kuminga will be heading anywhere outside of the Bay Area this summer.
Per Kawakami, who has been plugged into the Warriors for years, the chances of Golden State agreeing to a sign-and-trade are slim at this point.
The word I got when I checked in with a Warriors source on Sunday: Kuminga won’t be traded this summer. He’ll be back on the Warriors’ roster to start the season. And it’ll either come when he signs the Warriors’ offer or accepts the $7.9 million one-year qualifying offer.
While Kuminga wants to come to Sacramento, the Warriors aren’t particularly enthusiastic about Sacramento’s offer of Malik Monk and a conditional first round pick. The Warriors would also need to find a way to ship out Moses Moody or Buddy Hield in order to make such a deal work for them as well, likely to a third team. Further, Kawakami reports that Warriors owner Joe Lacob is still a fan of Kuminga’s and would like to see him either return or be traded for real value. Clearly the Warriors don’t feel that what the Kings are offering qualifies as “great value”.
It’s a tough situation for both Kuminga and the Warriors to be in, but both sides have dug their heels in. The Kings, for their part, don’t seem inclined or desperate enough to up their offer, and I hope they maintain that position. This Kings team should not be sending out unprotected first round picks at all given their history, especially for a non-star player. Kuminga may grow to be a future star, but that’s not guaranteed and the Kings need to minimize their risk however they can. Sacramento’s current offer seems fair, but the Warriors are also right to think that it might not necessarily move the needle for them when there’s a chance they could keep Kuminga in the short term and figure it out later.
Restricted Free Agency has always been tough for players, and it seems even tougher today with the new CBA rules putting hard caps on certain situations. We’ve yet to see any of the NBA’s premier restricted free agents sign new deals, whether that’s Kuminga, Josh Giddey or Cam Thomas. Teams are being more cautious with their spending, and there aren’t many teams with the cap space or willingness to throw out offer sheets to potentially pry one of these players away. We’ve rarely seen Restricted Free Agents take their one-year qualifying offers but I wouldn’t be surprised to see that this year, whether it ends up being Kuminga or someone else. Nevertheless, there doesn’t seem to be a quick resolution coming and this might not be resolved until we get closer to the October 1st deadline for Kuminga to decide on taking the qualifying offer or not.
This is why I think the Warriors want nothing to do with Monk. The Kings just have so many bad contracts right now.
https://bsky.app/profile/samamick.bsky.social/post/3lvm4gc3qws2n
What do you think a 3 team trade would look like with Kuminga and Monk?
No clue, but that would take additional assets for someone to eat Monk’s deal. Maybe something like Monk ($18.7M) and a 2nd to Utah, Kyle Anderson, Kevin Love ($13M) and a Kings pick to Dubs, Kuminga ($26M) to Kings?
Right now Buddy and Moody combine for $20.7M while Monk is slated to make $18.7M. It’s no wonder the Dubs don’t want to move off of Buddy and Moody who provide more of what they want at a fraction of the cost. Monk offers nothing to the Dubs core and hurts their cap going forward.
You know it’s funny. I’d rather watch Monk than Westbrook or Schroeder. When he runs that pick n roll with Domas it’s just awesome to watch. I don’t really think Monk is the issue, and I don’t think that Kuminga is the answer either. Fun young player sure, but not the difference maker a team with this many holes needs. Maybe someday.
I wonder if Monk soured on the org the same way Fox did because they seem hell bent on getting rid of him. It could also be that his contract is a lot nicer than the other guards they employ.
Kings are about to pay him $18.7M this year, $20M next year, and $21.M the year after…to come off of the bench. That’s a lot of money to pay a 6th man on a 40 win team, especially when they gave Schröder a fat deal and they traded up to get Nique. It seems to me the writing is on the wall when it comes to Monk.
I’d dispute that up until recently, that the Kings have been hellbent on getting rid of Monk. I doubt that he’s salty about his contract, but I’d not be surprised to learn that his enthusiasm for playing in Sacramento took a serious hit when Fox was sent away. Those two are like brothers, and you could see how much fun that they had playing together.
Monk could have a strong comeback season, but he’s still going to be stuck in a big pile of shooting guards. If he’s playing well, showcase the hell out of him, and if he’s terrible he just won’t play much. DC is going to need to use a pretty short leash on DeRozan, Lavine & Monk, and let the young guys run as much as possible.
Honestly, it may be that the best thing that happens to the Kings this season is that they start out 2-15, although I imagine it will need to get much worse before the organization does what everyone knows it should be doing.
Funny you say that, our best lineup by far was monk/keon/lavine/murray/sabonis. So he was fine when he wasn’t sharing the court with demar, shocker?? Not at all.
we can’t have nice things because people that run things are idiots that shoot by the hip.
yup
I wouldn’t be mad if they threw in Moody to even out the numbers. I think he’s also pretty far from being what he’s going to be. At the moment, he’s shooting about league-average from three, and has been at around eighty percent on free throws the past couple of years. His contract would also be pretty easy to move, which would be proven if he was traded to Sacramento.
Ta-da.
if they take Malik and have to dump one of the “buddies” and do not want to do that, what is their option? it seems like any salary they take on will require a dump and they will have to take salary to match JK high sign and trade deal.
These reports are being spoon fed to Amick and Kawakami to help shift the narrative closer to what GSW wants it to be. GSW would have the same problem if Kuminga took that 2yr/$45M deal they’ve offered.
Regardless of whether or not they do an S&T with the Kings or get JK to re-sign that temp deal, they’ll need to move someone during the year (GSW are just assuming that trading JK during the year solves their cap issues).
It’s a disingenuous argument unless GSW actually expects SAC to fix all of GSW’s roster and cap issues in a single trade. Without additional trades, the only way GSW won’t have cap issues is if JK takes the QO.
Ellis should have been prioritized, but wasn’t. Sac will be in the same contract situation with him next off-season, if he’s not moved, after failing to exercise his option this year. They haven’t prioritized him on the floor or off, and we’re living the same fantasy (a year behind) with him as GS is with Kuminga.
The deal Sac is offering is fair, but it doesn’t really give GS what they want, because they don’t want to take back salary, and they also have too many guards already. If Perry is serious he could offer a package of young talent that adds up to between $10-15 mil. in returning salary for JK.. Ellis with some combo of; Saric or Carter, and Davis, or Jones should do it.
I’d do it since they already kneecapped themselves with Keon’s contract negotiation next season. Ellis is good, maybe better than Kuminga, but forwards are worth more anyway. No to unprotected, yes to Ellis. That calls their bluff, and gives them what they asked for, but I’m not sure they do it anyway, because, in the end, they probably are just bluffing and never were willing to let him come to Sac. They just want someone to bid up his value.
Actually, they exercised Ellis’ option, but failed to extend him.
This was always what was going to happen. As usual the Kings are involved but never actually do anything. Unless it’s something dumb, which they tend to do regularly. Although signing Kuminga is probably dumb so the Warriors may have saved the Kings from themselves.
I still can’t wait to see how terrible this team is going to be next season. I can’t believe they are going to go into the season with this roster being this much of a mess. It’s actually incredible. Vivek pooped in the fridge and ate a whole wheel of cheese! I’m not even mad I’m just impressed.
Question: If the Kuminga trade doesn’t work out would a trade for RJ Barrett be a possibility? Stats comparisons show Barrett better in most areas. Only 25 so is in the timeline for the Kings. He needs to work on his 3 point shooting but is still above Kuminga”s stats. He scores well but his rebounding and assists are above average. He is hard-nosed and can take contact on is drives. Would work well with Sabonis. IMO he would take less shots and be a good teammate. Keegan would have to move to the 4 spot but IMO he already knows that position. IMO he would be a better fit than Kuminga and would be a much better team player.
To trade for Barrett it would take either Monk and Carter or Derozan and Carter.
I’m not sure why Toronto would do that. It definitely seems like a backward, Kangz type move to trade for DDR or Monk by giving up a young Barrett.
With the extension of Ingram’s contract that potentially leaves Barrett as odd man out in the rotation. This probably has nothing to do with it but Derozan has indicated he wants to end his time in Toronto. Also the Raptors as I understand have had interest in Monk. I can see his fit on their roster especially as a sixth man. I think it might be easier to work out a trade here than with the Wartriors. You might also include a second or two to sweeten the pot. And Perry had a lot to do to bring Barrett to the Knicks. All together it might work out. Least give it a try.
I just watched some of Barrett’s highlights. He can drive even with contact. He is a really good passer and teammate. He made some great passes no wonder he averages so many assists. Kuminga no way could do those those things. RJ Barrett is just a better fit for the Kings and would be a better teammate.
Jack. We agree!!! RJ much better fit.
Rec’d for “Wartriors”
Barrett is their staring SG next season slotted inbetween Quickly and BI. He’s not the odd man out at all.
In fact, I’d swap the 5 man staters of Quickly, Barrett, BI, Barnes, and Jakob over Schröder, LaVine, DDR, Keegan, and Sabonis every day of the week…and twice on Sundays.
You’re right. Barrett starting SG. I opologize.My mistake. Still like the guy.
No apologies needed, amigo. I love that you are armchair GMing stuff. Keep it up as it provides for our online community!
RJ Barrett did improve quite a bit last year and I’d be open to trading for him depending on the price. As Adam noted though, I’m not entirely sure what we have that they’d want that we’d want to part with. If they wanted Monk and a protected first or something of that nature I’d do it.
So your take on this is that Sacramento somehow fucked up the negotiations with Golden
State, and that’s why they didn’t do anything? Do you think the Kings should have offered more, maybe that mythical unprotected first-rounder that the Warriors claim to want?
So many legitimate gripes with this front office, and you still go and make one up.
I don’t think they’ll be terrible just not championship competitive and really nothing to indicate they will be better in the future.
So my hope is they take their shot and then realize at the trade deadline a rebuild will be necessary. Then you begin the process of acquiring draft capital and dumping big contracts for whatever you can get. I’m not sure what their long term plan is. Are they going to build around Sabonis or get into total rebuild mode. It looks to me they don’t know themselves so they are making a series of deals that are wishy washy.
It may not even take that long. I bet there are some unhappy campers by…uh, camp. DDR and Sabonis can’t be happy with the way the offseason has played out and I get the vibe Monk is already upset. There could be some trade demands or a buyout of DDR before we turn the calendar.
Schroeder, Lavine, DeRozan, Murray and Sabonis is a decent starting lineup. It’s a small lineup with defensive deficiencies but it should be able to put up a lot points. The bench with Nique, Monk, Ellis, should be decent. You could however be right and quickly the writing will be on the wall.
Sacramento once again being used to drive up the price for something is also a likely scenario.
I’m conflicted because I’d like for Kuminga to take the QO and be UFA next year, but I’d also like it if he took the Warriors’ offer because it would hamstring them quite nicely as they try and go from nine rostered players to fifteen.
No wrong answers here.
Although GS will absolutely send Kuminga to a terrible situation if they get the chance.
Yeah, I can’t imagine the Dubs want him to take the QO. He’s then untradeable and a guaranteed UFA that will walk in the summer.
My guess is the Warriors budge and guarantee his second year at something like 2 years $40M and then flip him before the deadline for more than they can get right now. Kuminga agrees to get the guaranteed money but know he may be sent to somewhere he won’t be happy.
I just don’t think the Warriors even have time to be hosting this eBay auction. Kuminga is a bad fit – on the floor, in the locker room and on the cap sheet. Do they really want to devote half a season of Curry, Butler and Draymond – a trio that is not getting any younger – to build JK’s trade value? Will other teams not see what they’re doing and simply refuse to bid until retaining him becomes so painful that they have to take what they can get?
I think the reality is that Kuminga hasn’t turned out to be what they hoped and the longer they stubbornly refuse to accept that the more it’s going to hurt.
the more they flub this, the happier I am.
As one who recommended taking a flyer on kuminga several months ago, I now see things differently. I didn’t think Kuminga would command this kind of money on the open market. At this point IMO, the best thing can happen is for the deal to fall through. The Warriors are good at stripping teams pockets in these type of deals. Look at the Wiggins deal. I say pass big time now. We simply can’t afford to give up future draft picks and $21 mil a year for Kuminga is a massive overpay given his credentials.
Yes! Especially not guaranteed in Basketball Hell.
Agreed, but at this point I wouldn’t be surprised by a stupid Kangz move.
So what is the alternative here? If the Kings are unwilling to swing for a proven NBA talent, who would be the 2nd youngest player on the roster (2nd only to Maxi), then are we gonna accept they roll out the 2nd oldest team in the league this season?
For those wanting a rebuild move, a swing for Kuminga falls into that category. Is it perfect, hell no, but it’s an attempt. Trading a future far off pick for a guy that is basically the age of the dudes the Kings have been drafting is for lack of a better term…a pick swap.
For those hesitant on giving up a guy like Monk, my only question is why? The dude is a flawed scorer and will turn 28 this season. IMO, If we are content with winning 35-40 wins then Monk is exactly the kind of guy and contract the Kings should hang onto.
If we don’t like the current old team, and we don’t want to swing for a young talent, then what are we doing here? If you are convinced that a unknown 2030 late lottery pick is gonna be better than Kuminga, then I have a bridge to sell you.
Don’t run it back, but don’t trade this guy or that guy.
This team needs to tank, but keep Monk because is a good player.
The fan base seems to be divided or confused on the direction the Kings need to go. Fighting for a play-in spot every year is not what I want. Either make wholesale changes and push for a top 6 seed, or start the tear down and build the team back in a better way.
This is why I hate the play-in stuff. Gives stupid teams like the Kings this low bar to walk over amd claim “success”.
They are divided and confused. That’s part of ‘basketball hell’. No one trade is going to make a difference. The bad contracts make it hard to trade in the first place. And they also stifle free agency. Kuminga supposedly wants to be here (wow!), but they can’t sign him outright. I would have preferred him to Dennis, and let Monk start. So the Dennis signing handicapped signing Kuminga outright. He may or may not fit with Murray, but he would be part of the tear down. He’s young. It’s gonna be a tough two years until Da Bullz are gone. I think they had one move this year, and Dennis was it.
The Dennis signing is puzzling on several levels.
Maybe Perry has little to work with, but he also has done nothing to create more room. Perhaps the Jonas trade was indented to do so, but I hate that trade, even if you take away the likelihood that he could have arranged a buy-out with Jonas if he’d just coimmunicated with him. For now, that bit of extra space made us worse and gave us nothing.
Things will get a lot worse before they will get mediocre again.
It’s always darkest before the Meh
I just want to clarify, the comment was not specifically directed at RPO, just a response that went off the rails. It’s was likely better served as a new comment. My apologies, RPO.
Dude, no offense taken. I’ve been here long enough to know that you’re no instigator. You have a valid point, too, regarding fans being ambivalent. Like others on this thread have been commenting, that comes with the territory for Kings fans during the Vivek era. The point I was trying to make (not very clearly) in my post above is that I don’t want to give up too much (a lot of what the Dubs have asked for at various points during this saga, like Keon or an unprotected first, is too much, IMO) because I think Vivek has made this org too chaotic to guarantee successful development of any young player.
Would you be willing to go unprotected.? Maybe a protected up to 10 pick or even 7 or 8? I would like Kuminga to be a King. If you are willing to give an unprotected pick say 5 or 6 years from now not knowing what it would be and if the player picked will exceed Kuminga’s talent. Would you do it?
I’d be willing to go unprotected if Monk or DDR are apart of some larger deal. As Bill2455 said below, if the Kings are unwilling to give up a pick in 2030 for a 22 year old prospect right now, then are they even trying at this point?
My honest fear is this franchise would have no problem giving up a pick for win now player like Trae Young or *gasp* Kuzma, but are hesitant on a 22 your old prospect that comes with risk. Keep in mind the Knicks and Magic each gave up a half decade worth of picks for Bridges and Bane. Is Kuminga at their level…no, but is one pick that much to ask for a team stuck in purgatory?
This franchise hasn’t taken a real risk since before the iPhone was invented.
The future unprotected really bothers me. I have been wanting the Kings to purposely tank for high picks for decades now, and continuing to give up picks for known commodities, or cap space that doesn’t end up being worth it, has obviously not been a fruitful strategy.
If the choice is between an unprotected pick for Kuminga vs Kuzma, that’s not really an argument. But if the choice is Kuminga vs possible tank in 2030 (on purpose or otherwise) when Domas and the other vets are gone, I know where I’m falling.
Also, I think they’ve taken a bunch of risks over the years, just none that have panned out. I think you can build a contender just by stockpiling picks, selling cap space, tanking, and selecting at the top of the draft for a few years. No majors risks that blow your future assets is necessary.
I can see giving up picks to go all-in on a championship run like the Knicks but we’re not even close to that.
I’d be 100% for a tear down and rebuild, but I just don’t think the Kings are going to take that kind of path. The OKC model is now being followed by the likes of Utah and Brooklyn after it’s been proven a few times by teams like Houston and the Spurs. The Kings on the other hand, have a man in charge who thinks he can do it different and better.
Risk is good but not for this guy.
no unprotected to the duds
They don’t like JK and don’t want him. They are desperate to get rid of him but far more desperate to prove what great deal makers they are. What is the outcome for them? they want JK to give in and the Kings to do something. But what they want the Kings do is contradictory.
I think JK will take the AO of 8M and be rid of them. He just has to put up with Day-day, stephie and “jimmy” whing at him for a year.
My position is that the current team is irredeemably bad and should receive no short-term, “win-now” investment. However, their contracts will all be up in 2-3 years. IMO everything that is done today should be done with the next 3-5 years in mind.
Committing unprotected 1sts and/or lots of salary to a guy with clear limitations who wants an enormous role is a real fast way to guarantee that not just these next couple years will suck, but the 5+ years after them, too.
Kuminga seems like a fine piece for a team with an established system/culture/role for him. He does not seem like a guy I want to give $25M+/year to take 20 shots a game for the next half decade. The Kyle Kuzma Wizards seems like the closest analog to whatever the Kings become with Kuminga, and I don’t want to devote resources to becoming the Kyle Kuzma Wizards.
So the Kings should just remain in purgatory for the next few years until all their bad contracts expire…and then start the rebuild? I really don’t like the idea of waiting for a rebuild because who knows what’s going to go through the mind of the dismissive little chap in the coming months to years.
You know I’d love a tear down today and a sell off damn near anyone for pennies on the dollar to start the rebuild now, but we know Kings brass isn’t about to do that. Kuminga is at least an attempt at a rebuild by going young, which is why I’m fine with the swing of the bat.
This is going to be a losing team for the next 2-3 years. Full stop. Kuminga isnt changing anything about that. So if we’re going to be losing we may as well be positioning ourselves for greener pastures.
Kuminga could potentially help 3-5 years down the road, but depending on cost/fit, he could hurt 3-5 years down the road, too. If he comes at the right price so that the team can maintain flexibility and pivot later on, great! If not, let him be the Warriors problem.
I think were getting blinders in this Kuminga situation. He is the guy who is available RIGHT NOW, but there will be other options in the future. In the meantime, there’s nothing that will stop the losses from piling up, so may as well stay patient and aim higher for the future.
Patient is right. If a good player becomes available, and the price is reasonable, then go get that player. No sense in paying a lot for a player that may not have much impact on an upward trajectory for the Kings.
Kuminga might be that guy, but he won’t be the only guy out there. Monk and a lottery (or more) protected pick is the ceiling. Anything else is probably too much, imo.
Risk is good but not this guy. He is there right now but with the CBA and cap there ill be others. Just wait
and, I, for one-would blow up the entire thing.
I don’t think it’s going to be losing team that’s good at losing they way we want them to lose. They are going to be gunning for the play-in spot every year and picking outside the top 10 for the next few years with they are built. I’m just done with being barely average. Either tear it down now (which isn’t happening as evidenced by Schröder) or get younger and find a diamond.
Sure, Kuminga could potentially hurt the Kings, but if the reported contract is just 3 years, then he fits the expiring contract timeline of the others. I don’t disagree it’s a risk, but if he does pan out to be a top 3 player on the Kings, then his contract is not only good, but controlled by the Kings.
I dont disagree. Ultimately, the price will be what determines my feelings on this deal. I’m just not overeager to bail the Warriors out of their predicament. Let them feel the heat and take a good deal if it comes. If not, move on.
Agreed. I’m with you on not overpaying and helping the Warriors. The Kuminga problem is their making and everyone knows it. It’s why I don’t think any deal happens in which the Kings overpay. At least I hope Perry has that judgement.
I’m only considering adding a first round pick to the deal if the Kings can move off of the Monk or DDR contracts as well. Adding Kuminga while keeping the contracts of Monk and DDR is just stupid. The truth is, the Kings adding any draft assets to the Kuminga deal is a win for the Warriors because they get something. For the Kings to do it, I want more of a win for them and that means moving off of some long term contracts.
If they could move both Monk and DDR this offseason, get Kuminga and some other possible young developmental player or a 2nd rounder, I’d say that is a win. It would free up space for Nique and Ellis, and allow the Kings to play faster and see how that would all work with Domas and Keegan.
That’s my line of thinking as well. Get younger, kick the tires on the youth, make a decision on Keon and Keegan extensions and see if all play well with Sabonis.
TBH I’m surprised DDR isn’t in a Heat jersey by now. I figured he was going to be moved shortly after they lost the KD sweepstakes for salary filler and a second.
I haven’t been playing with FanSpo so I don’t know what a deal would actually look like, but it seems like surely somebody will take a little of Monk or DDR’s salary if it comes at essentially no cost to them, right? But perhaps not.
Adamsite mentioned a trade before: DDR for Kuzma + Tyler Smith.
Bucks add like $400k in salary but get DDr to pair with Giannis and help balance their roster.
Kings add Kuzma (ugh), and take a flyer on Tyler Smith (6’10, 224lb. PF with some upside).
It’s not a bad swap. If the Kings add Kuminga, then they can bring Kuzma off the bench for a season or two and then move on.
Do the Bucks make this trade? Is DDR a better fit for them than Kuzma? I’m doubtful. I like Tyler Smith as a flyer, but I just don’t think this is realistic.
I think it might intrigue the Bucks enough to get another proven scorer next to Giannis to keep him happy. Kuzma is not that guy. I’d hope the Kings only do it to get…something of value in addition to Kuzma.
It’s a trade that may not happen now, but I could see it happening by the deadline if the Kings are going nowhere (which we all expect) and the Bucks need a shot in the arm to contend in a very weak East.
Yeah, this is the big question mark here. Because just trading DDR for Kuzma makes the Kings worse (and less likeable) and doesn’t really solve any contract issues.
Yup, to swallow the pill of watching LaVine, Dennis and Kuzma every night, the Kings need to get something of value. That’s why it may take time for the Bucks to get desperate enough.
Sidenote: I’m having trouble wrapping my head around the protections and eventualities of the 2027 Spurs pick the Kings got in the Lavine/Fox trade. Can somebody help me out?
2027 first round draft pick from San Antonio
San Antonio’s 2027 1st round pick to Sacramento protected for selections 17-30 or to Oklahoma City protected for selections 1-16; if this pick falls within its protected range of 1-16, then Sacramento will instead convey its 2027 2nd round pick and Charlotte’s 2027 2nd round pick to Oklahoma City (San Antonio’s obligation to Oklahoma City or Sacramento will thereafter be extinguished) (via Sacramento) [Chicago-Sacramento-San Antonio, 2/3/2025; Oklahoma City-Sacramento, 6/25/2025]
Here is how I read that jargon.
Kings get the Spurs pick if it falls 1-16.
If it’s 17-30 it was supposed to go to OKC due to a previous trade, but will now go to the Kings, only the Kings will have to give OKC two 2nd round picks as pay off.
Either way, the Kings get a first round pick either free and clear from the Spurs or at the cost of two 2nds from OKC.
Do I have that right?
I think so….
I thought so too, but I think that ship sailed when they traded for Norman Powell.
I just don’t know where DDR can be traded to now other than the Bucks unless the Kings buy him out at some point this season once shit goes sideways. He deserves better and should sign with a contender to get a shot at a ring.
It would seem that the Kings expect to be in the lottery in 2030.
This. That’s the only reason why they would hesitate on trading a far off future pick. Expectations = Reality.
History shows this statement to be accurate.
Oddly enough, a rare instance where the Kings aren’t the most delusional in the party.
This is the highest price the Dubs are going to get for Kuminga and they don’t even want him. The whole fiasco is about the Warriors front office escaping blame from years of faulting team building. If Kuminga is gone they got nothing to show for all those picks. Lots out on a trade because the Kings got out Kangz … only this franchise.
So now what? Kuminga comes to camp on the RF contract, no trade clause, basically moving his stuff out during the season and no one is offering much on a one year deal before he hits free agency. Why would they?
*Lost
My only add is that I don’t think the Dubs “don’t want him” its that they can’t afford him in their current Curry/Butler/Green window. He’s just not a priority for what they are currently doing and they are trying to maximize an asset by kicking his value down the road via a future pick.
If you want a very loose example, see why OKC traded away James Harden to Houston when they had Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka to pay. It was a luxury tax issue. Keep in mind, that was Presti who made that decision and it was purely financial.
Dubs are a smart franchise and it’s not because they don’t like Kuminga, it’s because they want some real value for Kuminga.
Let’s get real: turning down $8 Million per year because it’s not enough??!
I’ll take that and play anywhere they want me to!
Gabby Johnson is right!
What is stopping the Kings, other than alienating the Warriors’ front office, from saying we feel bad for Kuminga, so we’ll give him a better option than going back on the qualifying offer; we’ll use our mid level exemption to offer him a 4 year sixty million dollar contract with a player option for the second year. Kuminga can double his qualifying offer, bet on himself, and have insurance against getting hurt. Front offices and owners will hate the move; players and agents will love it.
And I’d probably hurt myself laughing, if they match, he gets hurt, and they eat the sixty million. They are betting he’ll take the two year offer with a team option for the second, so they can use him how they want– with such motives, they deserve to lose.
(If I was him and really wanted out, I’d start talking trash to and about Draymond.)
I like your thinking
That all sounds great in theory, but the Kings would still find someone to eat salary to create that kind of space for Kuminga. The Kings really need a third team or the Dubs to come to the table. Right now the Dubs don’t want any of the contracts the Kings are offering unless they have the names Keon or Keegan written on them. Any inclusion of those 2 are deal killers for me.
Depending on the contract he ends up signing, the Warriors may be playing themselves here. Having an expensive, disgruntled young bench player when you’re trying to focus on winning now around Steph, Jimmy and Draymond may end up being an absolute disaster for them – on the cap sheet, on the court, and in the locker room.
They just might be better off cutting their losses and taking whatever the Kings/Suns are offering just so they won’t have any distractions nor be so committed financially and with their playing time.
If by mid-season Kuminga is causing massive drama with that roster, the asking price is gonna be even lower and they’re going to be wondering why they didn’t just take the first rounder along with a blue-collar role-player like Carter.
There seems to be a school of thought that the problematic party in the Warriors/Kuminga beef is the player, with the Warriors organization and Steve Kerr being innocent bystanders as the situation has unfolded over the past couple of years. The narrative being constructed of Kuminga as a pain in everyone’s ass has been largely engineered by Golden State.
He wants to play more. Lots of people do. He’s young and very talented, but more importantly, when he plays, he’s productive. He has a case. Kerr, of whom I am a big fan (he’s a very interesting person, primarily for reasons having nothing to do with basketball), has, in my mind, taken a situation that is tough for a young player, being on a team built around not just veterans, but legit Hall of Fame guys, and leaned into it a bit because Kuminga is on the record about being frustrated about how his playing time is doled out.
As the Warriors are currently constructed, Kuminga isn’t required to be a main cog in order for GS to be competitive. I’d guess that that will remain true for the upcoming season, the one following, and that will be that. And this is the best-case scenario, requiring the money guys to be healthy for at least 60-65 games.
With that in mind, there is a non-zero chance that Kuminga could remain in his unfavorable place in the Warriors’ pecking order until he turns twenty-five and finally has agency ahead of the ’27-’28 season. That’s the worst-case for him, and I don’t expect it to play like that, but the possibility exists.
Until Kuminga makes his decision, and I hope he waits until the absolute last minute, Golden State can do almost nothing as far as adding players. I have no doubt that the organization understands the conundrum it’s in, but they are still behaving like they hold all the cards, and no matter what Kuminga does, everything will be copacetic in San Francisco. The fact is that the opposite is true. GS is in an unenviable spot whatever Kuminga decides, and the smart play for them is to get what they can in trade in the midst of a buyer’s market.
There’s no telling what billionaires may do when someone not in their club dares commit such effrontery, and they may just eat their untenable situation in order to screw Kuminga. The important thing is that no matter how it plays out, GS is going to take one in the shorts, invariably resulting in joy for the other twenty-nine teams and their fans. Should the Kings somehow come out of this a little better off than they are now, that’s just gravy.
They traded for Butler, which I think was a bit short sighted, and then extended him for a huge amount. That blocked any chance of Kuminga getting increased playing time. If they would have done a trade for a PF/C instead, they could have given Kuminga more of a chance to get minutes and see how he performed. They screwed themselves, which I am actually glad to see happen.
Because the Warriors have been so successful, the team is getting the benefit of the doubt when it is obvious that the team has treated Kuminga horribly. Kerr publicly criticized Kuminga in comments describing his future with the team as a role player. Why would Kuminga want to stay when the coach publicly says he has no confidence in him?
“Yeah, Jonathan, set a few more good screens, and I might put you out on the floor more.”
Of course, the Warriors contract offer to Kuminga is insulting. The team seems more intent upon humiliating him than making a smart personnel decision. It would rather have Kuminga live through a toxic situation with the team next season that get some value.
With all this, I think that Warriors will see reason before Kuminga selects a QO, the team can’t be this blinded by anger.
I think you are right. The last thing the Dubs want to have happen is Kuminga taking the $8M QO. Not only does he eat up cap space they need for signing a bunch more players, but he would become virtually untradeable. No team is going to give up anything of value for an expiring Kuminga on $8M who is just going to walk in free agency. This doesn’t even take into consideration the “distractions” his situation may bring throughout the season.
Maybe it is best for the Kings to just sit on this and wait for the Dubs to become desperate. If they are not willing to accept Monk and a protected 1st right now, then the price may drop in a month’s time. At least I’d hope that’s the game Perry is playing.
The truth, however, may be some other team swooping in and picking off Kuminga while the Dubs and Kings are entrenched. Utah could easily package the expirings of Kevin Love and/or Kyle Anderson attached with one of more of their prospects or picks. They could even send over the unguaranteed deal of Kenyon Martin Jr if the Dubs really want to save some cash.
Exactly. This is why I think the Warriors need to get something done before that QO deadline. They can’t play the “wait until the trade deadline and see who panics” game. Who wants him for a partial season with UFA status looming? Maybe there could be some wink wink stuff, but that scenario sems pretty dicey.
IMO, it’s not the QO deadline GSW needs to worry about. I bet this over in the next few days.
Kuminga is going to play in the FIBA Afrobasket 2025 tourney in Angola on 8/12. I highly doubt Kuminga plays in the tourney without a contract signed. If he gives them a warning first, I believe GSW will trade him to SAC…if he doesn’t give warning, he probably signs the QO.
The tourney starts on 8/12 and he supposedly leaves on 8/10. I don’t think we’ll have to deal with this story much longer.
Would love to know if this move is just a negotiating ploy or a genuine decision by the Warriors
This Kings roster is still blah I’d suggest the Kings can afford to be patient here, I can’t see how the Warriors are a better team after this decision.
The two things the Kings must not do is overpay for marginal or unproven players, and give up future draft capital. The proposal for Kuminga does both. I first floated the idea for Kuminga several months ago thinking we can acquire him on a team friendly deal. I don’t support acquiring him under these terms. What concerns me most about the deal is it tells me the Kings have no plan going forward.
i understand they may want to take a shot at winning now so hence the Schroeder acquisition. It was however done without sacrificing the future. The Kuminga proposal would make a rebuild much more difficult. You just can’t overpay for speculative players and also give up draft capital. This trade does both.
All this Kuminga talk is just smoke. Out of the blue, Kings trade Lavine and Monk for Giannis. ESPN trade machine accepted. Profit!
*don’t fall into the chasm*
Based on what I’ve learned during this Kuminga talk, we might need the Bucks to throw in an unprotected 1st.
Eh, idk. Can Giannis play SF?
HE DOESN’T STRETCH THE FLOOR!!!!
He’s not lengthy enough!
He’ll be 31 in December!
I can’t spell his last name!
I’d like to get Kuminga but not for more than what was offered. Don’t do a deal just to do a deal. Devin Carter is the same size as Jalen Brunson. If he was 75% as good, he’d be a keeper.
This offseason reminds me of ones in the recent past when a couple smallish moves were made early and I kept refreshing KTH to see more moves that never materialized.
BINGO.
I think my perspective might have changed a bit after some discussion outside of this site.
The Kings are screwed. Nobody wants LaVine, DeRozan, (and Monk, apparently). The return on Sabonis will probably not be what fans expect. I don’t think other teams view him as in integral part of a contending team. They have no young talent that appears to be on the “star” player trajectory, and the organization won’t commit to tanking to increase the chances of getting a top 3-5 pick in the draft. Like, what’s the plan?
Just keep shuffling players here and there in the hopes that they strike gold? Stay the course and fight for the 10th seed each season?
I think they need to change the type of team they have. Find a defensive, rim protecting big that can run the floor, get some better ball handlers/playmakers, load up on 3&D wings that have size. It’s a pipe dream, I know. Maybe Kuminga can develop into one of those players, but putting him between Keegan and Domas doesn’t seem to be a great fit. I would rather Kuminga than DeRozan, but I don’t know how much it matters at this point.
If they could land a top 3 pick and get Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, etc, then things might be looking better. Until then, just spinning our wheels here.
Welcome to the dark side!
I didn’t think they should try and salvage this roster. Change was needed. Now I realize how awful of a situation they are in, with no way out. Even if they let the LaVine and DDR contracts expire, top free agents aren’t likely to sign in Sac, so they would need to trade for them. Kings get fleeced in trades, yay!
The only thing cap space may be good for in Sac is eating bad deals from other teams in order to get picks. They’ll need to be bottom feeders for a while.
It also means overpaying average free agents to come to Sac, only to be traded months later for a bad return.
And yet we’ve never tried using cap space to eat bad deals and collect picks. We use cap space to overpay “win now” players that don’t help us win now.
We also like to attach picks to send bad deals to other teams.
Yes, this! Welcome to the club, the future is bleak and there’s no hope in sight.
Hmmm, I didn’t realize you could trade a regular rostered player for a 2-way player. This means the Celtics basically got a 2-way player for Zinger. Zinger was dumped to ATL for Niang and 2nd round pick a month ago.
https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3lvojf5kglo2m
Without knowing anything, I’ll bet that the J in RJ is for “junior.” So dumb.
Well I guess any speculation about whether or not the Spurs would extend Fox can be put to bed.
Just setting up a contract to trade for Giannis. /ducks
Akis- “Clearly the Warriors don’t feel that what the Kings are offering qualifies as “great value”.
What? a FRP + Monk is not great value? That’s way too much value. Malik is a proven NBA guy- 3 years of proof. and a FRP!!!!!
Kuminga has not proven anything. He has visible talent and skill but that has not been harnessed by a team that prides itself in development.
Kuminga has potential but after 4 years you would expect to see some development. He has size and he has skill at getting to the hoop but he is not worth Monk + a FRP. Just the FRP- the duds have to cut their losses but they are holding out for a sucker like they have on all their trades.
At this Point…with THIS roster and THIS ownership’s unfortunate historical tendency to lean win now, this should be the main criteria in acquiring almost any player.
Kuminga is 22. He is a full year younger than Nique and lots of us are excited for his development. He is two years younger than Keegan while some of us still think he has an ability to improve and develop. He plays a position of value in the current NBA. If you could sign him to something in the low 20s that is just a great value potentially. He’s the age of some guys drafted this year. If in the draft this year and averaging 20/10 at some big school (Hard to see how he wouldn’t), where would he have been taken?
Could Kuminga not develop at all and be seen as bad value in 2 years? Sure could. Hard to see how is a worse value than Monk at that point, who the Kings are likely having trouble moving right now. But Monk (avg player/cheap position – bad contract) and a protected first is a minimal price for what could develop. Absolutely the swings this org has to take to get real foundational young pieces.
Monk wasn’t very good in Charlotte, had a better year in LA, then finally broke through with the Kings in 22-23 season. Maybe fit and scheme matter more to some players when it comes to developing.
Or maybe Kuminga is a complete dud and never develops. It’s hard to hell with these players.
Did Monk really “break through” or did he have an outlier season in 22-23?
He’s a chaotic, erratic scorer with some playmaking chops and below average defense.
He elevated his game that season, then went back to being somewhat what he was with the Lakers. I still think k they need to move on from him and get a more consistent player.
(snaps fingers)
“He’s still here!”
His 23-24 season was similar to 22-23 and last year was better than his LA season even with the team going to shit.
I feel he’s simply been asked to do too much. He’s best used as a microwave 6th man in key situations. Unfortunately, he’s now overpaid in the new CBA.
They drive a hard bargain, but I’ll personally throw in $5.
Badge Legend