With the October 1 deadline looming for Jonathan Kuminga to decide on his contract status, the Sacramento Kings are back in the mix. The Kings and Warriors have revisited sign-and-trade discussions centered on the 22-year-old forward, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“Talks between the two sides were renewed earlier this week,” Amick reported, though “no significant progress was made.” Sacramento has been persistent, offering a package that includes veteran guard Malik Monk and a lottery-protected 2030 first-round pick in exchange for the chance to sign Kuminga to a three-year, $63 million deal.
The Warriors, however, have shown little enthusiasm for Monk, who still has three years and $60.6 million left on his contract. Golden State would prefer to flip Monk elsewhere, but league executives have hesitated for the same reasons the Warriors have. As Amick noted, “Ultimately, this may come down to whether the Kings are willing to make this an unprotected first-round pick or not.”
Golden State has its own offers on the table for Kuminga. Two of them are most notable: a three-year, $75.2 million deal with a team option for year three, or a two-year, $45 million contract with a team option in year two. Both hinge on team control, something Kuminga and his camp strongly oppose. They’ve pushed back against the absence of a player option and the Warriors’ demand to waive the no-trade clause tied to the second deal.
Because of that, Kuminga has threatened to sign the one-year qualifying offer worth $8 million, which carries a built-in no-trade clause and would make him an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
For the Kings, the pursuit remains about opportunity. Sacramento sees Kuminga as a potential cornerstone who could grow into a lead role. With Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine’s futures uncertain, the Kings believe Kuminga could “have the ball in his hands and be one of the top two players on a roster.”
One way or another, the standoff will be resolved soon. By October 1, Kuminga must decide whether to accept Golden State’s offer, Sacramento’s pitch, or bet on himself with the qualifying offer.
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