Fresh off agreeing to a buyout with Bradley Beal, in which he will sign with the Los Angeles Clippers for next season, the Phoenix Suns are reportedly setting their sights on a new target. The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer reports that the Suns have approached the Golden State Warriors about restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
Kuminga has been seeking more money than the Warriors are willing to give him, and he’s been vocal in the past about wanting a bigger, more consistent role within Golden State’s rotation. While there’s still a possibility that the two sides could come to an agreement on a new contract, even if it’s a short-term one, a liklier outcome is that Kuminga ends up elsewhere for next season.
The issue with that is there aren’t many teams with cap space to offer him the deal he’s searching for, which is one that would reportedly pay him at least $25 million a year. The Chicago Bulls were once considered a suitor, though they’ve yet to come to an agreement with their own restricted free agent, Josh Giddey. That doesn’t mean the Bulls are off the table, but given it’s mid-July and there’s been no traction on a Giddey deal, it would suggest Chicago is in no hurry to make any deals at the moment.
The Kings were also considered a potential landing spot for Kuminga, per Fischer, but nothing has materialized on that front, either.
The Suns are an intriguing destination, but there would certainly be some hurdles to clear to make that happen. For starters, the Warriors are seeking first-round capital in return for Kuminga if they were to execute a sign-and-trade for him, and that is precisely what Phoenix is lacking. Despite trading Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, the Suns only got one first-round pick for him, and it was the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft, which they used to select Duke big man Khaman Maluach. Beyond that, the Suns don’t control any of their own first-round picks until 2032, which they can’t trade due to their 2031 pick being owed to the Utah Jazz.
If the Suns covet Kuminga that much, it would likely take a third team to get a deal done in order for the Warriors to get assets they’re seeking in return.
