The Golden State Warriors have had a wild NBA offseason. From criminal mismanagement to shrewdly brilliant, their front office deserves some flowers. Rather than hanging on to aging veterans, they chose to build out their rotation, filling it with quality role-players.
That change has also given them far more flexibility when operating with salaries and contracts. In particular, their existing core could now get potentially lucrative deals.
Chief among them is the extension for Jonathan Kuminga. From their young core, Kuminga has been the one to take the biggest leap. Before last season, he was barely in the rotation and the returns weren’t ideal. However, in 2023-24, that perception took a complete U-turn.
Now, he is one of their more reliable starter options and is consistently showing improvement. Moreover, with age still on his side, the sky could be the limit for the youngster. But, even before that expected leap comes, Kuminga is seeking out a massive payday.
Jonathan Kuminga has his eyes on the prize
During summer camp in Las Vegas, Jonathan sat down for a conversation with Jake Fischer. Discussing his growth last season and the expectations going into next year, the discussion eventually came to money.
As a lottery pick, Kuminga has had a relatively high salary for a rookie-scale contract. However, his draft class has been earning the big bucks. Just this offseason, Cade Cunningham, Franz Wagner, Evan Mobley, and Scottie Barnes all signed max extensions with their respective teams.
And, he is looking to follow suit. As he told Fischer, Jonathan Kuminga is expecting a massive payday as he expects to sign a full 5-year, $224 million deal. It would instantly make him the second-highest-paid player on the team, barring any changes. But, the question falls to the Warriors’ side of the bracket.
Kuminga is among the youngest players in the league still, as he enters his 4th season as a 21-year-old. So, it would be reasonable to expect him to take a massive leap in the coming years, especially considering the jump he took last season.
But paying nearly the maximum amount of money to a still unproven young man might not be in Golden State’s interest. After jumping the gun with both Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, the team might be a little more hesitant this time around. We know how those moves panned out. And it remains unlikely that Mike Dunleavy & co. would want to repeat their mistakes. That isn’t to say that Jonathan deserves no love at all.
The upside
As they enter next season, the Warriors face a lot of questions. After back-to-back disappointing seasons, the team needs to make a splash. Rather than go after a premier signing or trade, the team has instead built a solid roster around Stephen Curry.
That wasn’t for the lack of trying, however, as reports of Lauri Markkanen’s interest were rampant before his extension set those ideas null and void.
Still, Golden State needs a secondary star next to Steph. While the roster is deeper than it has been in quite some time, it is still light at the top.
Beyond Curry, they don’t have a reliable scoring option or a threat to defenses. That is where Jonathan Kuminga comes in. While his defense is already All-Defense caliber, the offense is yet to come around.
Last season, unquestionably his best, saw him average 16 points on subpar efficiency. Both the scoring itself and the shooting splits need to go up for Kuminga to become a constant threat. The upside is clear, if uncertain. That’s what makes him the most intriguing piece of this new Warriors core.
Be the first to comment