And now the latest in the ongoing Jonathan Kuminga summer 2025 saga. Sam Amick reported a new tidbit of information Friday: the Kings current offer.
The Kings are offering Malik Monk and its 2030 first-round pick (lottery protected) pick to the Warriors and are willing to pay Kuminga $63 million over three years.
“As for the Kings, who last spoke with the Warriors earlier this week, team sources say they’ve offered a three-year, $63 million deal for Kuminga in a proposal that would send veteran guard Malik Monk and their 2030 first-round pick (lottery protected) to the Warriors (that deal would require the Warriors to move more salary elsewhere to stay under the first apron, likely Moses Moody or Buddy Hield). If that pick didn’t convey, then the Warriors would get the least favorable of the Kings or San Antonio’s first-round pick in 2031. Those protections have been the primary sticking point, team sources said, as the Warriors have insisted that the first-rounder be unprotected. Thus, the stalemate.”
Monk is still owed $59 million over the next three seasons. So, the sticking points are probably a combination of the pick being lottery protected and the money that would need to be sent out to make the deal work.
Amick also added this about this Kings: “The price point of their offer is tied to their desire not to be a tax-paying team this season.”
Amick also confirmed that the Phoenix Suns are willing to offer Kuminga $90 million over four years, but the Warriors are not interested in what the Suns are offering them in the deal. The Warriors have offered Kuminga $45 million over two years with a team option in the second season and “is now signaling an increased willingness to potentially accept the $7.9 million qualifying offer for next season.”
We’ll update you when the next report happens about Kuminga’s situation still being up in the air.
Perry will stop this pursuit as soon as he realizes Kuminga is not a shooting guard.
I don’t see why the Warriors would want Monk in return. It creates more problems (salary, shooting, etc.) for them than it solves. And no one should ever take a lottery protected pick from the Kings. Can we interest you in a over 30, ex-Bulls shot taker? We’ve got a store full of them.
If they could move Buddy by attaching a 2nd or two (perhaps ours), a Monk for Buddy swap is a massive upgrade for them. Monk is far more reliable and versatile. I think he’d fit in seamlessly next to Steph and as a backup for him.
I really beg to differ that Monk is a “massive” upgrade over Buddy. Buddy fits their system far better than Monk does. He also is basically an expiring deal at $9M with just $3M guaranteed the 26-27 season.
This front office is an absolute cluster phuk.
What aspect of the Kings’ offer do you take such issue with that leads you to feel this way?
I think this is a solid deal for the Kings. My only quibble would be getting a 4th year team option. Kings should not pay the tax for a 35 win team (which they’d still be after this deal). Perhaps the Ws are interested in a lightly used undersized shooting guard with poor shooting form and shoulder issues as a “sweetener”?
are you saying Monk + unprotected + Carter? of just Monk + Carter and protected?
The pick must be lotto protected, this is the Kings we are talking about. I’d throw in Carter and take back a small bad contract if the Ws have one.
Kuminga can get to the hoop. So could Gerald Wallace. He is an indifferent defender, a poor rebounder and does not know how to pass the ball. He could not get off the bench in dud-land until an injury. The duds don’t want him. As usual they over value their players and hold out forever until the trade partner just gives in. There are 2 offers out for JK- 2.
I like Monk. Not even sure if I would go straight up Monk for JK. But the FRP is ridiculous.
duds wil not sign him to long term deal, may sign him for 21 M per year but JK not interested. duds may not want Monk since they have Buddy and this deal raises their salary to the point where they have to dump guys.
They should just do a Monte McNair and give JK to the Kings and thrown in a second rounder to sweeten that deal. Standoff- who blinks? I hope not Perry since an unprotected pick + Monk is way too rich.
I’ve seen similar sentiments other places as well. I like Malik Monk…Malik Monk is fun…Malik Monk means “King” in Arabic if you hadn’t heard.
But he is not a a good player, I lean very average overall and he is especially not good at 3 more years for 60 million. He is a specialized bench spark plug/inefficient scoring combo guard. Those don’t cost 20 mill a year.
D’Angelo Russell Last 3 years avg – https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/russeda01.html#2023-2025-sum:per_poss
Monk Last 3 years – https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/monkma01.html#2023-2025-sum:per_poss
Pretty damn similar. Advanced stats are really similar too. Might argue Russell’s are actually better. Russell just got a 2 year – 11 mill contract. Somewhere in the 5-10 mill range is the value of this type of guy. There’s other examples around league too. Ty Jerome, etc.
I understand WHY the Warriors don’t want Monk for salary reasons, aprons etc. It’s a pretty bad contract looking back now. IF the Warriors magically took this deal even with a lotto protected 1st as well, you do it I think and don’t look back. If Kuminga is really in the 20-23ish a year range, trading a inefficient combo guard for a large inefficient wing, with more upside for the same money is a no brainer, Kuminga warts and all.
Add in that it helps clear log jam and open minutes for Keon and Nique, who I think we all want to see more of and evaluate. Deal is no brainer to me.
Which is probably why the Warriors are not interested.
I agree. As fun as Monk can be at times, he is equally as frustrating.
Kuminga is bigger, which balances the roster more, and like you said, allows Keon and Nique to grt more time on the court.
Fans have been clamoring for a larger wing/perimeter player that is athletic. Kuminga is that. And he is only 22. Take a chance and see what he can do.
But he can’t shoot. Doesn’t fit well with Sabonis, that’s for sure. Why have Sabonis if you’re surrounding him with non shooters and ball hogs.
Kuminga is just not someone a team should go looking for unless they have shooting everywhere, and certainly not a player to build around/with.
So, perfect for this kings ckusterfuck. Kinda nothing. Continuing to stay stuck.
i don’t want him but I’d take him over DDR.
Bingo! He’s a bad fit.
He may seem like a decent fit, because of the current logjam of SG’s on the roster, but other than unclogging that a bit, he’s just a bad fit.
We tried the ‘talent over fit’ approach with DDR, and we saw how that went.
But yes, he’s younger, bigger and more athletic than DDR.
Our assistant GM has said he wants old-school, mid-range basketball brought back to the NBA. DDR and Kuminga are exactly the guys he’d want.
Vivek really thought the old man talking about “back in my day” was the kind of visionary needed to help lead this franchise.
I think the question is if the they should be worried about his fit with the current roster. Who on the current roster is likely to be part of the next decent Kings team? This isn’t to say I’m sold on Kuminga. But in general, as usual, what’s the plan. Is the plan to build around Sabonis? Then yeah, Kuminga isn’t a great fit, thought there could be some fun to be had with Kuminga as a cutter there. But do they have the assets & runway to build around Sabonis? If not, then who cares about fit in the short run?
With the Schroder signing, the Valanciunis trade, the Kuminga saga and the professed interest in Westbrook, I would be surprised if we’d see the next decent Kings team when Perry is still the GM.
It also could well be that in the current CBA/salary cap era, Perry would be stuck with LaVine and Domas, so the fit is very much relevant.
I fear Perry will keep on going and the offer will only continue it get worse for the Kings, until it’s a near-term unprotected 1st, or an additional 1st gets added.
Get ready for us to get fleeced.
With this team, the fear of a dumb deal is ever-present.
It’s weird, because it decreases the chances for bringing in Westbrook.
Maybe someone can provide some clarity on the Kuminga base salary compensation status…I thought the Warriors could only take back 50% of what Kuminga signs for in a sign-and-trade. I hear James Ham mention every time a trade comes up for Kuminga.
If Kuminga signs for $21m/year. That means they can only take back %10.5m in any S&T, right? Monk makes like $18m, so how does that work?
Has anybody here (Perry hasn’t, obviously) considered that Kuminga would be the THIRD starting-caliber 3 for the Kangz? Murray and DeRozan are both undersized for their positions. So Kuminga’s a 4 because he jumps high? Drive and dunk is what he does. He’s not even a good pickup for Monk and NO picks. He demands to start. He would make as much as DeRozan. Who do you bench? Do you trade Murray? What a joke!
Kuminga is roughly the same size as others that player PF. He might be 5-10lbs less than some.
Tatum, Jerami Grant, Kawhi, OG, Eason, Aaron GordonTobias Harris are right around 6’7 or 6’8, and between 210-220ish pounds (per basketball reference).
There are outliers (Naz, Mobley, Chet, Zion, LeBron).
Yeah it’s funny how many players were seen as tweeners 20 years ago are the ideal 4 now
It’s become a more perimeter focused position. So it makes sense. PFs used to be more like Cs than SFs. Today, guys like Webber, Garnett, Duncan, etc. would be spending A LOT more time as Cs.
Good points.
For sure. I know it probably didn’t, but I kind of feel like the Heattles with Bosh at center kind of set the tone for that a bit with bron playing the 4. I’m fine with the current league but I do miss traditional 4s a bit I gotta say, I feel like the late 90s and 00s really was a golden era for the power forward with the players you mentioned and there were so many other great ones.
This off-season gets a lot worse if they give up an unprotected pick. Kuminga doesn’t really fill a need for this team and isn’t going to significantly improve next seasons performance…..
There are a lot of if’s here. IMO the offer on the table right now is a good offer and Perry should stand pat. If not then walk away. If Kuminga has the talent at 22 and if he can improve then with him as a starter I believe the Kings will have a better record than 35 a season. If the Kings have a handshake deal with DDR then he could be traded, for instance, to the Magic for Rosier and say 2 seconds then after next year they would likely have 26 mil to work with. If Clifford works out then Carter to could be traded. Maybe for a backup point guard. A lot of if”s.
Too many ifs for this FO in my opinion. I missed The Dutchman’s post above when I did mine yesterday. I could have just said of Kuminga, ‘yeah, bad fit.’ Even with the ifs. Nobody’s taking DDR, but even if they did, you’d have Murray/Kuminga at forward. What we need at the 4 alongside Sabonis is an unselfish, D-first guy. That ain’t Kuminga. He doesn’t solve the Kangz’ problems.
Can you name a couple of 4’s who the Kings could trade for that fit your above criteria? I sure would like to know.
IMO, this kind of thinking got us DDR.
“He doesn’t fit but he’s a relatively big name and it shows that we are trying something.”
If you decide to be a beggar, you won’t become a chooser soon.
If we can’t get the guys we want now, maybe we should be patient, work on develop our young guys, see if we can garner an asset ot two? It’s not as if we are going to be a serious contender next season anyway.
I really don’t understand what you are getting at. I said above don’t go any farther in trading for Kuminga. If nothing stand pat. The other question was who else out there is a power forward we could get other than Kuminga. That was all. I don’t know anyone but I thought someone would.
This all day long!
Last season I was hyping Isaiah Stewart for Huerter. I liked DaRon Holmes over Carter in the draft. F best player available, which Carter wasn’t anyway. I’d trade for Obi Toppin but Indy wouldn’t let him go. Energy, D, and the odd open 3. That’s the compliment to Sabonis they never got before Fox asked out.
Getting those players is tough because the teams that have them don’t want to give them up.
So, what would you do to get one of those type of guys?
It’s tough. They traded Barnes, Huerter, and Fox off the Beam Team. They got DeRozan and LaVine. They had to get a legit 4 for the first two before Fox demanded a trade, but they didn’t. Now the only tradable contracts they have now are Murray and Monk. They could try to trade them, but that doesn’t get rid of the no-D, ball-stopping Bullz. They need to tank. Hope springs eternal, so maybe Perry will surprise me.
I don’t think Domas is in the Ling term plans for Perry. I bet they try and move him in that 2027 offseason, the same when LaVine and DeRozan expire (if those 2 aren’t moved before that).
So, Kuminga might not fit that well with the current roster, but maybe Perry thinks adding a young player with upside is good regardless? The roster is just bad fits all around, and they won’t go full tank mode.
The writing appears to be on the wall for Sabonis, it’s just a matter of time. I hope he finds greener pastures.
But if Sabonis is gone it begs the question…what the fuck are we doing here?
Warriors don’t want Kuminga…should be obvious why he’s not a fit despite his innate talents. Pass.
Or…Warriors are in win now mode with the very short window they have with Curry, Butler and Green and Kuminga doesn’t fit that plan. Maybe they prefer to use their funds for more win now players as opposed to a 22 year old?
It’s pretty well known they have a handshake deal in place with Horford, Melton and Payton. Now there is is rumor they are ready to pounce if Middleton gets bought out in Washington. It could be they want to keep their powder dry for those short term win now vets as opposed to giving a fat contract to Kuminga.
Is it concerning that the only two reported offers are from the Kings and Suns? Are other teams interested in Kuminga? Two of the worst teams in the West want the guy, haven’t heard of any other teams in the discussion.
Those are the only two that have been “reported.” I’m guessing that’s at the will of the Dubs. Could be leverage to any of the other teams who have offered less?
I’m not too hung up on it, to be honest. Giddey, Cam Thomas, and Grimes haven’t’ signed either. There just isn’t the money out there. Kuminga may just be the biggest domino that needs to fall for a lot of other things to happen.
Say what you will about the monetary value of a scoring guard under modern cap rules – Monk is a hooper. He’s kinda being thrown aside like salary filler here even though he’s one of the best players on the team and has excellent chemistry with Sabonis. I’m not saying I don’t understand the reasoning around this, it’s just worth noting that we’re seemingly trying to push away a legitimately good basketball player as an add-in.
IMO I am absolutely not offering an unprotected 1st. Nor am I offering Keegan/Keon (and Sabonis, obviously). So Monk and a protected 1st sounds about right to me. I’d toss a couple seconds in as sweeteners. I’m a little afraid that Devin Carter will haunt this team as the Warriors new Gary Payton II for a decade if he puts on that jersey, but I wouldn’t say he’s necessarily a dealbreaker.
Just my take, but Monk is replaceable, especially considering his cost. Sure he can get a bucket, but that’s really about it. He’s not a good defender, is a below average 3pt shooter, and is turnover prone.
Also, he Monk inclusion may be more about the contract than the player. He may be a means to an end. It may also be a clue into how Perry feels about the other bench guards like Keon and Nique. If he feels he wants to prioritize them, then Monk is in the way.
Lastly, I don’t think the Dubs want Monk either. My gut says he’d be routed to a third team. The Dubs don’t want to take on salary because they have so many other roster spots to fill on the cheap.
Monk is fine, and he is the 6th man on a 40 win team, making $18.4m. He might be a “hooper”, but scoring and being flashy is only one part of the game. I want good all around players on the team. Kuminga has his issues, and I think he would be as good as, if not better than Monk, with the chance of reaching another level.
This. Monk is fun, but he’s easily replaceable. Heck, Grimes is out there begging for Monk’s contract. Again, I’m not in love with Kuminga (he’s only interesting if we’re going to get him on the very cheap), but holding onto Monk shouldn’t be a sticking point in a trade.
Why not just put an offer sheet on their table and let the Warrior’s either match or don’t? Isn’t that how RFA works?
I wouldn’t, but all this silly talk about s&t is exactly what’s wrong with this team; they’re not willing to spend for what they want, instead trying to work out a deal in which they have little leverage and losing more than they take back. There’s no real reason to entertain this conversation, so of course he’ll be on his way here Monday…
The Kings don’t have the cap space to make an offer sheet. If it were $25M per year for Kuminga, the Kings would need to have the free to make a formal offer regardless of what the Warriors want. Dubs don’t have the space either, but they do hold his rights so they can offer him any amount they wish. It is similar to how the Kings and and traded for DDR, they had to move other players (Barnes to the Spurs) to create the space for the contract
What needs to happen is the Kings, Dubs, and Kuminga all have to come to the table and agree on the terms of a $ amount then figure out how to pull it off via trade so the Kings can “create” the space, which sounds like it might take a third team.
Fair point I had forgotten regarding cap space needing to be available before the offer can be extended and makes perfect sense.
I don’t see the value in Kuminga that apparently 90% of the rest of the sports universe seem to see in him. Like, at all. That’s more my problem with the 2 weeks long, non-stop narrative. I don’t want him anywhere near this team.
This team is so goddamn stupid. I cannot tolerate this anymore. If it weren’t for the Maxime pick I would have moved on. You lack long term assets. Free agents see you as an easy pay check. Nobody respects you. So why do they keep making the same stupid mistakes?
Wait, so of all things going on in Kangzland, the Maxime pick is what talked you off the ledge?
I need some context here, please.
I like his skill sets and see him as the steal of the draft. I don’t need to explain why. You need guys that are tall, lengthy, and have all around attributes. That pick is the only reason I’m giving this pathetic organization any attention. I’ve already moved on before and thought Raynaud would land on the Pacers. That sadly didn’t happen.
This Bay Area reporter thinks Kuminga will remain with the Dubs to start the season.
I think it’s a negotiating tactic by the Warriors. They saw the Kings moved from Saric + Carter + Two 2nd round picks, to Monk and an unprotected 1st. They are trying to get the Kings to make that pick unprotected, which they should absolutely not do. Call the Warriors bluff, take the current deal or leave it.
I’m thinking the Dubs want a “Kings” pick, which I totally understand the hesitation because…Kangz. What I would consider is the Spurs 2027 pick. It’s basically a guaranteed 1st, protected via the Spurs 17-30 and OKC 1-16. By 2027 I see that being outside the lottery, which is why I’d be willing to include it, but I’m guessing the Dubs balk at that.
If they absolutely insisted on a 1st, I’d make it the Kings 2031, since Sac already has the T-Wolves 2031 free and clear. I’d take the Stepien Rule into consideration so the Kings still technically have a 1st rounder every year going forward.
I would just walk. Acquiring Kuminga isn’t vital.
Me too. Monk and an unprotected 1st would be my final offer. If the Warriors don’t want it, wait for the next guy to be available and develop the younger guys in the meantime.
I wouldn’t offer an unprotected 1st. IMO unprotected 1sts (especially Kings’ 1sts) are for trades for stars. Not for lottery tickets.
I’d probably rather just go sign some cheap lottery ticket off the UFA pile that could kinda maybe sorta fit. Someone like Kai Jones, Bol Bol, and/or Thomas Bryant.
I meant “protected” 1st.
Agreed. I would even consider scaling it back to top 6 protected an overpay.
The more I think about it, the more I think any kind of 1st would be an overpay. MAYBE I’d be okay with a 1-20 protected, or a “lesser of” 1st in a year when the Kings have two 1sts.
But I don’t see the Warriors going for that, which is fine by me.
I guess it depends on how Perry views Kuminga. If he thinks he can approach Aaron Grodon levels of play, then I’d say it’s worth it. Kuminga’s numbers aren’t that dissimilar to Gordon’s first 4 years. Denver eventually acquired Gordon at age 25 for Garry Harris (Malik Monk level at the time) rookie RJ Hampton and a top 5 protected pick that conveyed over 3 years, which basically made it unprotected because Denver wasn’t about to finish bottom 5 for three straight years.
If Perry thinks Kuminga could be a top 3 Kings player going forward then a first rounder is worth it. This doesn’t take into consideration that Monk’s deal going out offsets a healthy chunk of the reported 3 year Kuminga deal.
Sure it’s a gamble, but the Kings are going no where fast. If all it takes is that 2027 Spurs pick for a far off 2031 Kings pick, then why not? By 2031 Kuminga would be in his prime at 28 and could very well be star in the league. Again, it all comes down to how Perry views Kuminga, whom I’m sure he has a lot more information on than we do, including is personality, drive, and off the court lifestyle.
Fox signing an extension.
$57.5m average annual salary for a 2nd or 3rd guy on a mid-level playoff team. Glad he got his money. Also, NBA contracts are getting ridiculous.
Yeah, it’s nuts. The total amount going to the players is fine(they should make 51% of league revenue), but they need to lower the max a single player can make so it’s not 2 or 3 guys making 50-70 mil + and a bunch of league minimum and rookie deals per team.
The mid-level players are going to be gone. Teams won’t have the space to pay for them once the max/near max deals are in place. The aprons/tax will soon leave just “stars” and MLE or less salaries. But the players apparently voted for this.
I think the mid-level players are already gone, at least for contending teams.
It’s why we can’t move Monk, and why the Schroder deal is such an overpay.
So true, which is why I’d be fine of Monk were apart of a Kuminga deal. It could actually be beneficial to the cap going forward.
Hope he can stay healthy and/or adapt his game to minimize injuries. I guess Wemby makes a big enough lane. Lol
That’s a whole lot of money for a guy who has proven he’s not a #1 option that can lead a team.
Good for you, Fox.
These are the guys in the league that have averaged Fox’s numbers over the past six seasons: [24.3ppg; 6.2apg; 47.8 FG%]
Nikola Jokic
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Luka Foncic
Lebron James
He deserves every penny.
There have always been those who felt like one of the bigger problems with the Kings was De’Aaron Fox. As I used to say over and over, you may want to give that some reconsideration.
So glad the Kings arent burdened with that Fox contract.
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