Tag: Jonathan Kuminga

Jonathan Kuminga’s contract demands revealed

Jonathan Kuminga’s demands for his next contract have been revealed.

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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Warriors young core must show signs of growth next season

The Golden State Warriors younger contingent must show signs of development next season.

The Golden State Warriors have been straddling two developmental timelines for multiple years. At the one end of the spectrum, you have Steph Curry and Draymond Green, two veterans with vast championship experience and the talent to continue challenging at the highest levels of the NBA. On the other hand, you have Jonathan Kumigna, Moses Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski all of whom look capable of leading the Warriors’ next generation.

However, Steve Kerr has often struggled to find the balance between developing the franchise’s younger talents and ensuring the team is competitive enough to give Curry and Green a shot at winning another championship ring.

In a recent episode of “Locked On Warriors,” the hosts discussed how Golden State can bridge the gap between the two timelines. The conclusion was that the Warriors’ younger talents must show signs of rapid growth so that they can play their part in a potential push to the NBA Finals, either next season or the one after.

You can watch the full episode by clicking on the embedded link above.

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The Warriors front office believes in Jonathan Kuminga

The Golden State Warriors front office remain high on what Jonathan Kuminga brings to the table.

Jonathan Kuminga enjoyed a breakout 2023-24 season for the Golden State Warriors. The third-year forward played in 74 regular-season games, averaging 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 52.9% from the field. Kuminga’s size and athleticism give Steve Kerr’s roster a different dimension.

During a recent appearance on “The TK Show” podcast, Joe Lacob discussed Kuminga’s potential to continue developing while noting that he had multiple admirers within the Warriors front office. The explosive forward is seen as a future All-Star and a core piece of Golden State’s young core, thus making him incredibly valuable to the franchise.

“I’m a big, big believer in Jonathan Kuminga,” Lacob said. “Everyone knows I’m a big JK fan. So is our basketball operations, Mike (Dunleavy Jr.) and Kirk (Lacob) and those guys. And by the way, so are our coaches. I know people sometimes think that’s not true, but that is true…He had a big step last year. We expect him to have another big step this year. I expect him to be a Warrior for a long time.”

The Warriors’ insistence on straddling two timelines has begun to pay dividends, as multiple members of the young core are starting to emerge as high-level role players and potential stars of the future.

As such, it’s only logical to expect Kuminga’s role to continue expanding in the coming years as he continues to develop and work toward becoming one of the elite forwards in the NBA.

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The Warriors championship window is still open

How long can the Golden State Warriors championship window remain open?

The Golden State Warriors won their last championship in 2022. Outside of Klay Thompson, who left the team in free agency this summer, the entire core of that roster is still in the Bay Area. Over the first few weeks of the offseason, the Warriors have acquired multiple veteran talents with the aim of bouncing back after a difficult 2023-24 campaign.

According to Joe Lacob, who was speaking on a recent episode of Tim Kawakami’s “The TK Show” podcast, the Warriors championship window is likely to be open longer than what most people expect, despite the fact Steph Curry and Draymond Green are both in the final stages of their career.

“I do view that our window is a little longer than people think,” Lacob told Kawakami. “If there’s such a thing as a window. But with respect to Steph, let’s just say … I think the window’s probably longer than people give it credit for. He’s in remarkable shape. I do not see some big slowdown from Steph here. In fact, I would argue he’s one of the best players on the Olympic team.”

Golden State has been straddling two timelines in recent years. The young core of Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Daivs and Moses Moody have all shown promise of developing into high-level players. The quicker they can take steps in their development, the more likely it is that Curry and Green can continue contending at the highest level.

Whether the Warriors’ window can stay open long enough for the franchise to get Curry and Green another ring will remain to be seen. However, it does appear that the front office is bullish on the franchise’s chances.

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Are the Warriors making a mistake by straddling two timelines?

Is the Golden State Warriors desire to have two timelines hurting their chances of winning a championship?

The Golden State Warriors have been straddling two timelines for multiple years. In Steph Curry and Draymond Green, Steve Kerr has two elite veterans who know how to win and what it takes to be a consistent contender. The Warriors also have some elite young talent with All-Star upside. Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga are the two jewels of the younger core.

According to Dieter Kurtenbach of the Mercury News, the Warriors could be making a mistake in their commitment to developing young talent while still trying to be a contending roster.

“It seems more likely that the Warriors are making the same mistake twice: They’re going for two timelines — the present and the future,” Kurtenbach wrote when lamenting the team’s dilly-dallying over a Lauri Markkanen trade. “And in that effort, they’ll ensure they have no timelines. Let me tell you, two in hand is better than two in the bush.”
While having two timelines is the ideal scenario for any team, it appears that it’s limiting Golden State from reaching a championship ceiling while also holding back the development of some young players, such as Moses Moody.
If the Warriors want to continue giving Curry and Green opportunities to add to their impressive trophy haul, the front office may need to accept that it will mean going all-in on the veteran core and dealing with an inevitable rebuild when the time arises.
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Are the Golden State Warriors overrating Jonathan Kuminga?

Is the Golden State Warriors forward overrated?

Jonathan Kuminga enjoyed a breakout 2023-24 season for the Golden State Warriors. He played in 74 games, starting 46 of them. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists, which were all career highs for the third-year forward. As such, he projects to have an even bigger role within the rotation next season.

During a recent episode of “Hardwood Knocks,” Kuminga and his importance to the Warriors franchise were discussed while discussing the Lauri Markkanen trade rumors. Host Dan Favale shared his belief that Kuminga was “one of the most overrated players in the NBA.” However, Favale quickly added that he wasn’t insulting Kuminga with his assertion.

Kuminga’s name has recently been mentioned in trade rumors. The Utah Jazz have reportedly shown interest in sending Kuminga to Salt Lake City should the Warriors firm up their interest in a deal for Markkanen.

You can watch the full discussion on Golden State’s pursuit of Markkanen and Kuminga’s importance to the franchise by clicking on the embedded video above.

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Jazz asking price for Lauri Markkanen could scare off Warriors

The Utah Jazz have set a lofty asking price for a potential Lauri Markkanen trade.

The Golden State Warriors could potentially back out of negotiations for Lauri Makkanen. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Utah Jazz want a package centered around Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and future draft capital in return for the multi-skilled forward.

The Warriors have reportedly made Kuminga untouchable in trade discussions this summer. As such, the Jazz must lower their expectations in terms of a potential trade package, otherwise the Warriors could walk away from the negotiating table and look elsewhere for some additional improvements to the roster.

“The Jazz, however, have asked for the bulk of young talent and capital the Warriors possess, including Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski, along with picks, which has been a non-starter thus far for Golden State, league sources said,” Charania reported.

Markkanen will enter unrestricted free agency next summer. The Warriors would undoubtedly want assurances he would re-sign with the franchise before parting with any of their young talents or future draft assets.

Nevertheless, Golden State is highly unlikely to part with its entire young core, especially Kuminga. As such, Utah is running the risk of pricing Markkanen out of trade this summer, which could hinder the team when he hits the free-agent market in 2025.

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Warriors refused to include Jonthan Kuminga in Paul George trade talks

The Golden State Warriors refused to put Jonathan Kuminga in their Paul George trade discussions with the LA Clippers.

The Golden State Warriors were reportedly interested in acquiring Paul George via trade before he opted out of his player option to hit unrestricted free agency. Mike Dunleavy Jr. had a plethora of tradeable assets at his disposal, including future draft picks and multiple impressive young talents.

However, the front office refused to entertain a potential trade package that included Jonathan Kuminga. He has emerged as a genuine cornerstone for the Warriors’ future and is seemingly viewed as untouchable at present, as reported by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne in a recent article. 

“The Warriors offered multiple combinations of expiring contracts, young players and an unprotected 2027 first-round pick, sources said,” Shelburne reported. “The Clippers countered by asking for prized youngster Jonathan Kuminga, sources said. The Warriors resisted because Kuminga is so important to their own future, sources said, but also because they worried George wouldn’t be as interested in joining them if they gave up too much to get him.”

George ultimately joined the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. That left the Warriors to pivot after allowing Klay Thompson to bolt for the Dallas Mavericks as part of a three-team sign-and-trade deal that saw the four-time NBA champion ink a three-year $50 million contract.

Golden State has since added Kyle Anderson to their roster and are reportedly exploring the possibility of acquiring Buddy Heild to help fill the perimeter scoring void left behind by Thompson. Steve Kerr’s team will look different in the upcoming season as the Warriors look to bounce back from a tough 2023-24 campaign.

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Mike Dunleavy Jr. details Warriors best path to improvement this summer

Mike Dunleavy Jr. believes the Golden State Warriors best path to improvement will come via internal development

The Golden State Warriors have a busy summer ahead. Mike Dunleavy Jr. must make decisions on Chris Paul’s future and Klay Thompson’s impending free agency. He’s also expected to be active in the trade market as the Warriors look to inject fresh talent into their roster as they bid to bounce back from a difficult season.

However, Dunleavy believes that Golden State’s best path to legitimate improvement will come from within. During a pre-draft news conference on Monday (June 24,) Dunleavy noted how internal development will be key to Golden State’s chances of making an impact next season.

“This time of year is fun,” Dunleavy said. “You’ve got free agency. You’ve got trades. You’ve got draft. All different ways to improve your team beyond what I think is most important is internally, player development and that stuff.”

Golden State has an impressive group of young talent, with Jonathan Kuminga headlining that contingent. Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Moses Moody were all impressive last season, too. With that being said, internal development will undoubtedly be a core part of the Warriors growth heading into next season.

Nevertheless, there is still a clear-cut need for some fresh talent within the Warriors roster. As such, Warriors fans will likely be hoping Dunleavy can make a trade to help expedite the team’s improvements and put them back in contention for a championship next season. Otherwise another year of Steph Curry’s career could be wasted as the front office tries to navigate a re-tooling.

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Jonathan Kuminga leaps into NBA’s top-100 players

HoopsHype has ranked Jonathan Kuminga among the top-100 NBA players for the first time in his career.

Jonathan Kuminga enjoyed a breakout season with the Golden State Warriors. The athletic forward broke into Steve Kerr’s starting lineup and proved he can be an All-Star caliber player in the coming year. Kuminga’s athleticism and ability to pressure the rim were both major additions to Golden State’s system.

In HoopsHype’s latest player rankings, Frank Urbina has listed Kuminga at 83rd, marking an 18-place jump and seeing him crack the top 100 for the first time in his professional career. Kuminga will likely continue climbing those rankings as he improves and gets more opportunities.

“Kuminga went from a pure slasher with little outside scoring ability to a solid midrange bucket-getter, including off the dribble, and has the makings of a potential All-Star if the 21-year-old takes another leap comparable to the one he took from Year 2 to Year 3,” Urbina wrote. “He’s got a ton of tools to work with thanks to his size on the wing, length and overall athleticism.”

Kuminga appeared in 74 regular season games for the Warriors, he started 46 of them. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 52.9% from the field and 32.1% from 3-point range.

Golden State is expected to be active during the offseason. As such, Kuminga could find himself stepping into a bigger role next season as he continues to develop into a leading talent for the Warriors.

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