Nets Smartly Seek Jonathan Kuminga as NBA Free Agent Amid Warriors Contract Rumors | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

Jonathan Kuminga wanted “significantly more” $30 million to sign a new extension with the Golden State Warriors before Monday’s deadline. Monte Pool reported NBC Sports Bay Area, but the team deemed his request too high, and the 22-year-old forward will now become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season.

That is, if he achieves free agent status and does not become a trade target until that moment.

Jake Fisher told B/R that there are rumors that the Brooklyn Nets have already prepared a trade sheet for Kuminga and the Warriors (4:00).

The Nets, who are going through an organizational rebuild, are smart about Kuminga.

There are some things to look forward to on the 0-2 team, especially Nic Claxton, but the current roster is a mix of veterans and inexperienced players, neither of whom have proven particularly effective in lifting the team out of its season doldrums. Eastern Conference.

Kuminga is young, has shown the sparks of a star player and could make a change of scenery himself, despite the lack of the aforementioned extension, playing time and continued expectations that he will prove he has earned a bigger, longer-term contract.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr detailed Kuminga’s preseason ups and downs with the team, including times he had to sit him out or remove him from the rotation entirely.

He also spoke about his inexperience, telling Tim Kawakami from TK Show podcast: “He’s still so young, if this was 20 or 30 years ago, he would have just finished his fourth year of college or his rookie year in the NBA. When you add all that up, I like where JK is at. right now because he’s gotten so much better, but he still has room to grow and that’s the fun part. So, I talked to him about the coming year and what my expectations are, and he’s excited. he likes it here, he told me that.”

Whether Kuminga loves the team or not doesn’t make up for the fact that he still doesn’t have an extension, which Kerr also mentioned.

“I think the hardest thing for him is he doesn’t have an extension yet and he’s seen some of the same guys in his draft get extensions, but he understands the business. He still has something to prove and he is dedicated to his work.” to go out and do it and I’ll help him every step of the way and I’m excited about it.”

Kuminga has played the most minutes per game in the 2023-24 season, averaging 26.3. He averaged 16.1 points per game while shooting 57.8 percent from the paint and 32.1 percent from beyond the arc, a weakness that stands out among the Warriors’ other signature 3-point shooting.

He added 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.7 steals in his strongest season to date.

Through two games in the 2024-25 season, he is again playing under 20 minutes per game and averaging just six points per game.

If the Warriors aren’t willing to let him show what he can do with some time on the floor while still citing Kuminga’s need to prove he’s worth the investment, it might be better for the team to find a trade partner and get something in return for him before he becomes a free agent next offseason.

If the Nets are willing and able to look for their own fundamental building blocks, it will be a win-win deal.

The Warriors will no longer have to rely on Kuminga’s potentially distracting talk and get something in return for him, while the young forward has a chance to play for a Nets team that doesn’t have enough quality forward depth to keep him out. sites.

Is this ideal given the Warriors’ questions about the youth of stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green?

No, but it removes the proverbial Band-Aid and allows the organization to focus on making the most of the remaining time with their future Hall of Famers and potentially contending for a title rather than having to deal with questions and comments about when their young potential star of the future will go to trial and receive payment.

Especially if Kerr and company aren’t sure it’s the right fit for what they like and want to do.