Ending a summerlong stalemate, restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million deal to return to the Golden State Warriors, agent Aaron Turner of Verus Basketball informed ESPN on Tuesday.
The deal features a staff possibility within the second 12 months that’s designed for the Warriors — or one other staff if and when Kuminga is traded throughout the upcoming season — to tear up and full a recent new contract after the 2025-26 marketing campaign, sources mentioned.
Additionally Tuesday, the Warriors agreed to a one-year cope with free agent Seth Curry, sources informed ESPN, teaming Stephen Curry along with his youthful brother as coaching camp begins Wednesday. Nevertheless, the Warriors can’t enter the season with 15 commonplace gamers on the roster until they make a commerce, however Seth Curry is anticipated to be on the roster for almost all of the marketing campaign.
Forward of Wednesday’s qualifying provide deadline, Kuminga selected the two-year deal over a proposal of three years and $75 million so he can keep a better degree of management over his fast Warriors future. The Warriors by no means wavered on their staff possibility frameworks throughout negotiations. Now, each side perceive the chance of exploring trades when Kuminga is eligible to be moved in mid-January. As a part of the deal, he’s waiving his inherent no-trade clause.
Kuminga missed media day Monday and the primary day of Warriors follow Tuesday as the perimeters finalized the deal.
Warriors common supervisor Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Kuminga’s aspect have been locked in a stalemate all through the offseason over the framework of the contract, however Golden State finally elevated its two-year provide by a complete of $8 million between July and September and assured Kuminga roughly $15 million greater than his one-year, $8 million qualifying provide would have for this season.
Over the previous two months, the Warriors have had a standing provide of two years and $45 million with a staff possibility, and earlier this month supplied a three-year, $75 million contract with a staff possibility and a three-year, $54 million totally assured deal. Kuminga and his aspect wished a participant possibility all through the negotiations, or a better annual wage with a staff possibility, requests that have been denied by the Warriors.
Selecting the two-year construction permits Kuminga to create a call for whichever staff he’s on subsequent summer season or get to 2027 unrestricted free company.
The Warriors made a leap to $48.5 million complete over two years within the newest and final spherical of those drawn-out negotiations. Kuminga’s deal turns into the fourth-highest wage on the Warriors’ books subsequent season behind Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Inexperienced, escalating the staff’s luxurious tax penalty by $70 million to a complete of over $80 million.
By signing Kuminga to a wage of $22.5 million subsequent season, Golden State will nonetheless have the flexibleness to make use of its $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception and signal two gamers to the veteran’s minimal. Gary Payton II signed a one-year, veteran’s minimal contract with the Warriors on Monday, and Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and rookie Will Richard have agreed to offers, too.
The Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings have been the strongest suitors for Kuminga in commerce talks, with the biggest sign-and-trade provide coming through the Suns as a four-year, almost $90 million cope with a participant possibility, sources mentioned. The Warriors by no means confirmed curiosity in both staff’s commerce proposal, nevertheless, declining ideas of Royce O’Neale and second-round picks from the Suns and Malik Monk and a protected first-round choose from the Kings.
Kuminga was largely out of the rotation within the Warriors’ first-round sequence towards the Houston Rockets, enjoying simply 50 minutes complete throughout seven video games, together with 4 that he sat out on account of coach’s determination. He averaged six factors on 30.4% taking pictures towards Houston. Nevertheless, Kuminga shined within the Warriors’ Western Convention semifinals sequence towards the Minnesota Timberwolves with Curry sidelined. He averaged 20.8 factors on 54.3% taking pictures towards the Timberwolves, together with three straight video games scoring over 20 factors to finish the sequence.
Kuminga has led the Warriors in paint factors per sport in every of the previous two seasons as he averaged 10 factors within the paint in 2023-24 and eight.5 final season, per ESPN Analysis — a significant increase for a staff that was fifth worst in paint factors final season. Amongst gamers from the 2021 draft class, Kuminga ranks fifth in factors per 36 minutes (minimal 150 video games).
Kuminga can be one among eight gamers with 3,000 factors and 1,000 rebounds from the 2021 draft class, and he’s one among 5 gamers to attain 3,000 factors earlier than turning 23 in Warriors historical past.
Kuminga has proven a capability to boost his efficiency when the Warriors are lacking a key cog, rising his scoring common from 14.1 factors in video games Curry performed to 19.6 factors in 10 video games with out Curry, which was second on the staff on this state of affairs behind solely 20 factors per night time from Butler, who performed simply three contests with out Curry. Kuminga additionally elevated his taking pictures share from 44.5% with Curry to 48.2% with out him.
Kuminga turns into the third restricted free agent to discover a decision in September, after Cam Thomas signed a one-year, $6 million qualifying provide to return to the Brooklyn Nets and Josh Giddey reached a four-year, $100 million deal to stick with the Chicago Bulls. Philadelphia’s Quentin Grimes stays the ultimate excellent restricted free agent.
Within the span of 48 hours, the Warriors, who had 9 commonplace contracts all offseason, finalized their anticipated 15-man roster: Kuminga, Horford, Melton, Payton, Richard and Curry.
Coming into free company this summer season, only some groups had wage cap area, which created a freeze for the restricted market. The Nets have operated as the one staff with actual wage cap area for almost all of the offseason.