Jonathan Kuminga Reportedly Won’t Attend Warriors Media Day Amid Contract Rumors

Jonathan Kuminga reportedly did not travel to San Francisco and won’t attend the Golden State Warriors’ media day on Monday, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania.

Per Charania, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, were in contact on Sunday but there is “no momentum” toward a deal as media day approaches.

After extending a $7.9 million qualifying offer to Kuminga earlier this offseason, the two sides have reportedly been stuck in a stalemate.

Slater and Charania previously reported that the Warriors increased their previous proposal for a two-year, $45 million contract to a three-year, $75.2 million deal with a team option in the third season. Kuminga reportedly was hesitant to sign because of the team option. It was also noted that Golden State would still view him as a trade asset if he agreed to the terms of the deal.

Slater and Charania noted on Sunday that all three offers remain on the table.

Charania and Slater noted that Al Horford committed to a multi-year deal with the Warriors on Sunday, with Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton also agreeing to terms with the team. Second-round pick Will Richard also agreed to terms on Sunday.

While those players appear to be part of the Warriors’ roster for the upcoming season, Charania and Slater noted that Horford’s contract numbers will depend on how the Kuminga situation plays out.

Kuminga appeared in 47 games with 10 starts this past season, averaging 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He was in Golden State’s starting lineup at the beginning of the year before being moved to a bench role.

The team later moved Kuminga back into the starting lineup when veteran forward Draymond Green was relegated to the bench. However, he suffered a significant lateral right ankle sprain on Jan. 4 against the Memphis Grizzlies that sidelined him for a large portion of the season.

After playing minimally in the first round of the playoffs, Kuminga was thrust into action after star guard Stephen Curry’s hamstring injury in the conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Overall, he averaged 15.3 points in eight postseason appearances and 20.8 points in the series against Minnesota as the Warriors lost to the Timberwolves in five games.

Kuminga showed promise with a breakout year during the 2023-24 season when he averaged 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 74 games played with 46 starts. The injury and inconsistencies this year caused a delay in his ascent.

For now, his future with the Warriors remains unclear.

Source link