What the Golden State Warriors do with Jonathan Kuminga remains one of the most pressing questions of the 2025 NBA free agency cycle. There is a widespread expectation the Warriors will move on from the former No. 7 overall pick by way of a sign-and-trade, and his market is growing. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reports six teams have varying levels of interest in Kuminga: The Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.
The Kings and Wizards have the most momentum of the bunch, Slater reports. Sacramento offered a package of Devin Carter, Dario Šarić and two second-round picks, but the Warriors were not receptive to the perceived buy-low move. Washington, meanwhile, put its hat in the ring Thursday and is a surging contender to land Kuminga as a key piece in its rebuild.
The Bulls and Heat were two early candidates to make a move for Kuminga. Chicago reportedly discussed a trade deal around last season’s deadline, while Miami could remain in the market after it missed out on a primary target in Kevin Durant.
It makes sense for Lakers to trade LeBron James, but there’s one big reason why talks are dying on the vine
Sam Quinn
Golden State tendered Kuminga a $7.9 million qualifying offer last week to make him a restricted free agent. The Warriors can match any offer that comes Kuminga’s way, but the sign-and-trade route is also available to them and could be a prudent move if they are able to acquire veteran talent in return. With Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green as their core, the Warriors would stand to benefit from another proven and more consistent weapon to round out a contending lineup.
Kuminga has yet to fully latch onto a reliable role for the Warriors despite his clear and tantalizing upside. He slipped out of the rotation last season until Curry’s injury forced him back into the lineup, but he capitalized on that opportunity with a stellar finish to the campaign, averaging 24.3 points per game across the final four contests of the second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Untapped potential makes Kuminga an attractive sign-and-trade candidate. He is still just 22 and at times excelled in the early stages of his career. The G League Ignite product is an athletic weapon who contributed to the Warriors’ NBA championship run in 2022 and took steps forward in the years after, peaking from a production standpoint in the 2023-24 season when he averaged a career-best 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
If the right offer does not surface, the Warriors could keep Kuminga on hand into next season and either move him at a later time or bank on him developing into a more reliable role player or starter.
