Why Warriors are willing to wait before investing big in Kuminga 

SAN FRANCISCO – From CEO Joe Lacob to general manager Mike Dunleavy to coach Steve Kerr and his staff, most key figures within the Warriors hierarchy love what they think Jonathan Kuminga can bring to the franchise.

They’d like to move beyond thinking Kuminga can be an NBA All-Star to reach a consensus in the belief that he will evolve enough to reach that status.

There was, according to two NBA sources, enough uncertainty to prevent Golden State from handing Kuminga the kind of massive contract extension that would have signified he is next in line to hold the keys to the franchise. With the deadline passing at 3 p.m. PT Monday, the 22-year-old forward will become a restricted free agent next summer.

“He took a leap last season,” one source said. “They want to see another one before they make that investment. He’s still under their control. If Kuminga has a strong season, I know they’ll take care of him.”

The Warriors weren’t ready to offer Kuminga the kind of massive contract that would have made him the second-highest paid player on the books next season, behind only superstar Stephen Curry, who will make $59.6 million.

No one else on the current roster has a contract that exceeds $30 million in 2025-26, and Kuminga and his representatives, according to sources, sought a deal well beyond that amount. A deal that would have had considerably more impact on the payroll than those lined up for four-time All-Star Draymond Green and 2022 All-Star Andrew Wiggins.

The failure to reach an agreement with Kuminga was not a surprise. Though both sides engaged in early conversations, it was quickly apparent that figures could not be reconciled. Kuminga and his agent, Aaron Turner of Verus Basketball, are taking a risk with the hope that he will prove he’s worth the kind of contract generally afforded a franchise player.

In a recent conversation for an upcoming “Dubs Talk” on NBC Sports Bay Area, Kuminga did not seem particularly unnerved by that possibility.

“My main focus is basketball and my family,” Kuminga said. “With the contract thing, I try to keep my mind off it as much as I can, so I could just come down here every day and focus on basketball. One thing I realized is there’s always business. The more you think about what’s going on, the more you’re going to be mad and not trying to focus on what’s bigger.

“I just try as much as I can to stay locked in on basketball and let my people handle that stuff.”

Kuminga made substantial improvement last season, going from sometimes in the rotation to always in the rotation to practically locking up a starting spot at small forward. He finished as Golden State’s No. 3 scorer, averaging 16.1 points per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the field, including 32.1 percent beyond the arc. Across 46 starts, he averaged 17.2 points, shooting 53.1 percent overall and 29.5 percent from deep.

Though Kerr has not divulged his starting lineup for the season opener Wednesday in Portland, it would be shocking if Kuminga is not on the floor when the game begins.

Kerr has been clear about what he wants to see from Kuminga to secure his starting role and become a fixture now and in years to come.

“The other night he played the 3 and he played fast,” Kerr said, referring to an Oct. 15 preseason win over the Los Angeles Lakers. “As soon as there was a change in possession, he was sprinting. He has to do that. We can’t be a halfcourt team and play lineup combinations that don’t make sense in terms of spacing. But if we play fast, then a lot of that stuff is mitigated. And if we are tough defensively, then a lot of that stuff is mitigated.

“He’s got to be better defensively, for sure, making sure he’s in the shell and not leaking out of our shell. Making sure he’s on a string with the other guys. He’s got to be better on his closeouts; the last couple games he’s been blown by a few times, and we’ve talked to him about it.”

One doesn’t have to read between the lines to see why the Warriors weren’t ready to make Kuminga the heir apparent to Curry. There still are too many questions still in need of answers, which is why the Warriors couldn’t feel good about making such a sizable investment.

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