The Golden State Warriors continue to be in a holding pattern with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. Among the more recent updates was when ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported on Wednesday that the Warriors had made an offer to Kuminga, but he turned them down.
“The Golden State Warriors made another push to retain Jonathan Kuminga over the past several days, but the restricted free agent is continuing to decline their two-year, $45 million contract offer, sources told ESPN on Wednesday,” Charania and Slater wrote.
The Kuminga situation will affect what Golden State does for the remainder of the offseason. The Warriors have not signed anyone in free agency, though they have been connected to multiple free agents.
One Warriors free agent more or less confirmed that what’s been going on with Kuminga has been what’s holding up everything else. On Thursday’s episode of NBA Today, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears confirmed that Gary Payton II confirmed in three words that Kuminga is holding up everything.
“I saw Gary Payton II two days ago, and I’m like, ‘What’s going on?'” Spears said. “He’s like, ‘Waiting on JK (Kuminga).” He is, Al Horford is.”
It sounds like Payton’s plan is to return to the Warriors. Payton has been with the Warriors for four and a half of the last five seasons. In addition to Horford and Payton, the Warriors have also been connected to De’Anthony Melton, who played for the team last year until tearing his ACL early on in the 2024-25 season.
