NBA rumors: Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors were $5M apart in contract talks

Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors didn't agree to terms on a contract extension before the Oct. 21 rookie contract deadline, making his future in Golden State as uncertain as ever.

Negotiations were about $5 million apart, The Athletic's Anthony Slater reported, citing league sources, with Kuminga aiming for an annual salary in the $35 million range and the Warriors maxing out at around $30 million.

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In the end, a deal didn't get done, and Kuminga now will bet on himself in his fourth NBA season.

And as expected, the rumors will continue to surround the 22-year-old forward, especially with his positional fit with Golden State in question. That became evident this week when Kuminga was moved to the bench after starting the first three games of the season, something The Athletic's Sam Amick stated Kuminga is "clearly not happy about."

He still wound up playing more minutes and scored more points in those two games off the bench, finishing with 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in Tuesday's win against the New Orleans Pelicans and 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal in Wednesday's victory over the Pelicans.

With the loss of franchise icon Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors went all in on landing Paul George and Lauri Markkanen in a potential package that would have included Kuminga. They struck out twice.

Now, rival executives believe Golden State is "more willing than ever" to include Kuminga in a trade of significant magnitude, per The Athletic's Sam Amick, and the team still expects a high-value player in return. One player to monitor is Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, who drew interest from the Warriors over the offseason and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer after not agreeing to an extension with Miami, Amick wrote, citing sources.