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Warriors Forward Comments On Not Signing Contract Extension

The deadline has passed for the Golden State Warriors to sign former lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga to a contract extension. Kuminga, the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft for the Warriors, has shown high upside and potential during his first three seasons. The Warriors other 2021 draft pick, Moses Moody, agreed to a 3-year, $39 million extension. Kuminga and the Warriors were unable to agree on a contract extension before the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, allowing for the forward to enter restricted free agency next summer. Reporters asked Kuminga about his contract negotiations after their win on Wednesday, and the forward made all the right comments. 

Warriors Forward Comments On Not Signing Contract Extension

Warriors Win in Portland

The Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers to kick off their season on Wednesday, 140-104. Coach Steve Kerr deployed a 12-man rotation during the game, with no player playing more than 25 minutes. New Warriors like Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton looked great in their Warriors debut, as did Moody, fresh off a new contract. Moody scored 15 points in only 15 minutes of playing time. 

Kuminga, however, was a slight disappointment in his first game since not coming to terms on a contract extension this summer. He scored 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting and 0-of-2 from three-point range. Kuminga was the only player on the Warriors who didn’t have a positive +/- in the game (it was zero). 

Kuminga Contract Comments

After the game, Kuminga was asked about his contract negotiations and how he felt about not getting an extension signed over the offseason.

He told the Athletic, “I’m not really concerned about it. I’m just concerned about coming out here and performing every other day. I ain’t really thinking about that. The time came and nothing happened.”

Although Kuminga seems unconcerned about not getting a deal done, he is taking a risk by betting on himself this season. It is no secret that Kuminga has thought of himself as a star-level talent, but the Warriors coaching staff has not always agreed. During his first few seasons with the team, there have been multiple instances of Kuminga, coach Steve Kerr, and the Warriors front office not all seeing eye-to-eye on Kuminga’s role. 

Kuminga Contract Negotiations

ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst recently said the Warriors and Kuminga were “never close” on their contract negotiations. Kuminga was allegedly looking for an extension that would pay him more than $30 million per year. This would make him the second highest-paid Warrior after Stephen Curry. 

So far in Kuminga’s career, he likely hasn’t earned a payday like that. It wasn’t until his third season in the league that he even averaged over 10 points per game. Last year, he averaged 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds on 52.9% shooting from the field in 26.3 minutes per game. One of Kuminga’s draft class peers, Jalen Green, recently signed a $35 million per year rookie-scale extension. Green is averaging 19.8 points per game over his first three seasons with the Rockets.  

Kuminga has shown flashes of why he could be worth over $30 million per year, but he has yet to put a complete season together of consistent quality offensive play and solid defense. Kuminga is choosing to bet on himself, and it could pay off, and his recent comments show that he doesn’t seem too concerned. 

Jeremy Kruger

Jeremy Kruger

"You're not tall enough to make the NBA," they said. They were right. But now Jeremy is doing the next best thing: sharing his passion for basketball with the world through his writing.

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