Qualifying Offer Now Likely for 2021 NBA Draft Pick
Time is running out between the Golden State Warriors and forward Jonathan Kuminga to reach a contract agreement. As we get closer to the season’s tipoff on October 21st, the two sides look to have gotten no closer to a decision, though talks for negotiations have reopened. According to Warriors NBA insider Anthony Slater, if the Warriors do not further improve their current two-year, $45 million offer, Kuminga will probably sign a qualifying offer. In case you need a refresher, here’s how the logistics of this scenario would play out, and what this may mean for both sides.
A qualifying offer is a standardized one-year deal that’s typically offered to players who are reaching the end of their rookie contract. Once their current team, in this case, the Warriors, chooses to extend a qualifying offer, the player becomes a restricted free agent, which allows their team to match any other contract offer within 24 hours. This is where the two sides are at right now, but things would slightly change should Kuminga accept the offer. If that happens, the 22-year-old would sacrifice a substantial increase to his paycheck this year, compared to what he has sought throughout negotiations. In terms of numbers, Kuminga would make $7.9 million if he signs the QO, which is a slight bump from his current annual salary of around $6 million. However, this would pay dividends in a year, when he’d become an unrestricted free agent. He would then have a right to determine his future, fully detached from Golden State’s influence.
This has now become a dangerous game for the Warriors to play. The team will go from having had multiple potential trade partners just a few months ago to letting Kuminga walk for free next summer. While talks between the sides have felt inconsistent during this summer, things will surely heat up once we roll into September. The longer this stalls out, the more of an advantage Kuminga’s camp gets, as they can continue to push for more money.
The situation has become draining to the team, and I’m afraid it will only get worse. Kuminga simply wants the Warriors to either view him as a centerpiece and pay him as such or release him into a greater opportunity elsewhere. As we continue to monitor the biggest piece of news from Golden State this offseason, Slater’s news has added an element of severity to this complicated puzzle. It will force the Warriors to ramp up their willingness to cooperate, but it’s still anybody’s guess on how this case will close.
