Warriors Make Final Call on Max Contract for Jonathan Kuminga Ahead of Season.
- Jonathan Kuminga might be a member of the Golden State Warriors beyond this season, but it won’t be on a maximum contract unless something significant changes during the upcoming campaign. Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported on Thursday, September 12, that Golden State is not “currently prepared” to offer the two-way forward and former No. 7 overall pick in the NBA draft a max extension. The Warriors aren’t currently prepared to give Kuminga a max extension (like the five-year, $224 million deal Franz Wagner got from the Orlando Magic that will start at 25 percent of the cap) or anything that stretches too close to that $44.8 million annual salary, league sources said. There’s credible reason for Kuminga to believe he can play himself into that ballpark with another leap. The talent has flashed for long stretches. The upside remains immense. But Kuminga’s relatively limited track record and protection of restricted free agency gives the Warriors leverage and reasons for patience.Kuminga is entering the final season of his four-year, $24.85 million rookie deal in 2024-25. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.7 steals per night across 74 games played (46 starts) last season, according to Basketball Reference. Golden State is likely less concerned about a specific increase statistical production and more interested in witnessing Kuminga make a leap that indicates he can — within the next couple of years — become somewhere between the second-best and fourth-best player on a championship team that features Stephen Curry. The Warriors have indicated that they are all-in on making a run at one more ring with Curry still clinging to the back end of his prime (he is under contract for three more years), and a max deal for Kuminga could hamstring those aspirations if the forward can’t be the championship-caliber player they need.
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