The Phoenix Suns have “made the most lucrative push” of a contract offer for Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga as his restricted free agency prolongs, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater.
Golden State has been in negotiations with sign-and-trade proposals with Phoenix as well as the Sacramento Kings, but ESPN adds the team is considering cutting off those negotiations to use its leverage of restricted free agency.
Kuminga and (agent Aaron Turner) have used July to explore their sign-and-trade options. The most significant negotiations have been with the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, getting proposals up to four years approaching $90 million total, including a player option for the final season, sources said. Phoenix has made the most lucrative push via sign-and-trade.
The Warriors have recently offered Kuminga a two-year, $45 million contract that the forward declined due to a team option in the second season as well as a no-trade clause built into the proposed deal, according to ESPN.
Based on the collective bargaining agreement, the Warriors’ proposed one-plus-one contract would have an inherent no-trade clause, as Kuminga’s next team wouldn’t maintain his Bird rights. That would give Kuminga a level of control over his next NBA home, should the Warriors decide to move him. But the Warriors have requested that he waive that implied no-trade clause, sources said, similar to what D’Angelo Russell did for his Lakers contract in the summer of 2023.
Why can’t the Suns entice the Warriors to work out a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade?
As has been previously reported, Charania and Slater said in their story published Wednesday that the Warriors aren’t getting trade offers that interest them, which is the primary reason there have been low expectations for the Suns to get a deal done.
In terms of a trade, Phoenix’s contracts of Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and Nick Richards appear to be the main financial pieces to be included. Golden State has reportedly wanted a first-round pick to be included in any deal, and the Suns’ lack of options there is another hurdle that is keeping them from making headway.
For what it’s worth, Kuminga is open to joining either Sacramento or Phoenix, according to ESPN.
Kuminga prefers the longer-term offers presented by the Kings and Suns because he believes they signify a fresh start, a larger guaranteed role, a promised starting position and a greater level of respect and career control, shown in part through the player option, sources said. Phoenix’s proposal is also nearly $70 million more guaranteed than the Warriors’ offer.
NBA reporter Marc Stein added that Kuminga’s extended free agency process will keep Kuminga from playing with the Democratic Republic of Congo national team in preliminary AfroBasket games.
