Golden State has reportedly bumped up its proposal to Jonathan Kuminga, but the two sides remain far apart.
The Warriors offered Kuminga a three-year, $75.2 million deal that includes a team option in the final season, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of ESPN.
That structure makes the contract much easier to move in a future trade, but it is exactly what Kumingas camp wants to avoid.
Even with the deal guaranteeing $48.3 million across the first two seasons, more than double what he has earned through four years in the league, Kumingas priority is opportunity.
Do you want to be here? Warriors owner Joe Lacob asked, according to ESPN.
Kuminga fired back: Do you even want me here?
The 22-year-old has long felt that he never truly earned Steve Kerrs trust, especially with Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler ahead of him in the rotation. His counteroffer mirrored Golden States proposal but flipped the final-year option into a player option.
His leverage is the one-year qualifying offer worth $7.8 million. Signing it would give Kuminga a no-trade clause this season and allow him to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026, when several teams will have major cap space. ESPN reports his agent even suggested a souped-up one-year deal worth slightly more than $8 million, but the Warriors balked at the risk of losing him for nothing.
Other teams tested Golden States resolve earlier this summer. Sacramento floated a package built around Dario Saric, rookie Devin Carter, and a lottery-protected first-round pick, though some rumors had Malik Monk in the framework. Phoenix also made an offer, but it lacked a first-rounder. Both teams were prepared to start Kuminga at power forward, and both were willing to add a player option to the deal.
For now, Golden State is in a holding pattern.
READ MORE: Lauri Markkanen Reflects on Finlands Historic EuroBasket Run After Loss
