Jonathan Kuminga was a breakout star for the Golden State Warriors last season. The explosive forward emerged as a vital piece of the rotation and showcased All-Star level upside. As such, he earned himself a spot in the starting lineup in 46 of his 74 outings for the franchise.
Kuminga is entering the final year of his rookie-scale contract. According to Yahoo Sports Jake Fischer, via his “No Cap Room” podcast, Kuminga will seek a full max contract for his next deal. However, those type of contracts are usually reserved for high-level stars, which he is yet to prove himself as.
“Jonathan Kuminga is entering the final year of his rookie deal where the word around the league from various sources is that Kuminga and his representation are looking for a full max extension, which as we just talked about with Brandon Ingram and Jamal Murray and whoever, like if you’re not an absolute All-Star, Scottie Barnes type of guy for Toronto, Lauri Markkanen for Utah you know, Trae Young for Atlanta back in the day, because look at what happened to Trae Young and Atlanta since then, it’s really hard to get that number,” Fischer said.
If Kuminga is truly seeking such a lofty contract extension, he must produce the best season of his young career. Golden State have re-tooled their roster over the opening month of the off-season. Therefore, Kuminga is expected to have more opportunities and a bigger role. The ball will officially be in his court.
Golden State may choose to reach a middle ground with Kuminga during the season rather than waiting to negotiate next summer. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how the two sides approach negotiations in the coming weeks and months.
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