Jonathan Kuminga is staying with the Golden State Warriors…for now.
During a contractual saga that spanned the entire summer, which included the Warriors exploring ultimately fruitless trade opportunities with the Sacramento Kings, and amid questions about whether each side even wanted to continue this imperfect association. Nevertheless, restricted free agent Kuminga ultimately agreed to a new deal to stay in Golden State.
However, as we examine the terms of the new deal, it’s clear that this is a move that appears mutually beneficial for both sides, allowing trade talks to reopen for the player in January or for the contract to be renegotiated next summer.
How Does Jonathan Kuminga’s Deal With the Warriors Benefit Both Sides?
According to breaking news from NBA insider Shams Charania for ESPN, Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract. Additionally, the deal includes a team option, which allows the Warriors to renegotiate the contract if they choose to do so.
Breaking: Ending a summer-long stalemate, Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract to return to the Golden State Warriors, agent Aaron Turner told ESPN. The deal has a team option designed for the contract to be ripped up and renegotiated next summer. pic.twitter.com/Xnklx7O0DD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 30, 2025
Charania also provided further information that Kuminga chose the two-year deal over a three-year, $75 million offer that was also on the table. This allows Kuminga greater control over his immediate future. It is reportedly understood between both parties that trade talks will resume once he’s eligible to be moved, as soon as January.
Kuminga chose this two-year deal over three years and $75M so he can maintain a higher level of control over his immediate future. The Warriors never wavered on team option frameworks. Now, both sides understand likelihood of exploring trades when Kuminga is eligible in January. https://t.co/NfPxZKV6mC
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 30, 2025
Furthermore, it’s reported that Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy ultimately decided to increase their offer by $8 million, guaranteeing Kuminga will earn $15 million more than the original qualifying offer, sweetening the deal for the player. In return, Kuminga waived the inherent no-trade clause.
Therefore, this appears to be a mutually beneficial deal for Kuminga and the Warriors. For Kuminga, this offers a substantial improvement on the qualifying offer as well as the stability of remaining with the team that drafted him.
Plus, there is a chance to build on his impressive postseason performances, where he averaged 20.8 points per game against the Timberwolves, albeit when Stephen Curry was injured. He has struggled performance-wise in his usual support role.
There is also plenty of flexibility within the deal, where he can be traded to a team that can offer him the larger role he craves as soon as he is eligible.
For Dunleavy and the Warriors, this isn’t so much a commitment as a ‘wait and see’ approach; if he excels, they can choose to improve his deal next summer, as the non-negotiable was to include the team option in the contract. Otherwise, they have a flexible tradable contract that should be able to command a far better return package at the trade deadline than they would be able to command now.
Ultimately, we will continue to see Kuminga in a Warriors uniform, at least until the trade deadline.