Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has turned down a two-year, $45 million contract offer from the team, league sources told ESPN this week.
The 22-year-old remains unsigned as a restricted free agent with less than two months remaining before training camp.
Kuminga’s rejection centers on the Warriors’ insistence on a team option for the second year and their refusal to include a no-trade clause, according to reporting from Shams Charania and Anthony Slater.
His agent, Aaron Turner, proposed alternative frameworks during meetings in Las Vegas, including a three-year deal worth approximately $82 million that would preserve Golden State’s cap flexibility.
Despite internal belief in Kuminga’s upside, the Warriors have not shown interest in matching those terms.
Instead, the team has maintained its leverage through restricted free agency, signaling they will retain him via the current offer or his $7.9 million qualifying offer.
That qualifying offer, if signed before October 1, would bind Kuminga to a one-year deal with a no-trade clause built in — a rare position of control for a player in his situation.
Kuminga averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last season and saw a noticeable jump in production following the All-Star break.
He remains one of Golden State’s few young assets, but contract talks have stalled due to the gap between player demands and the team’s long-term salary planning.
According to Marc Stein, Kuminga’s camp continues to explore sign-and-trade possibilities.
However, the Warriors have reportedly found offers from interested teams such as Sacramento and Phoenix underwhelming, especially without a future first-round pick involved.
The Suns are particularly limited in trade options due to a lack of movable draft assets under the new cap constraints.
Fred Katz of The Athletic noted that “base-year compensation” rules also complicate potential trade mechanics, making salary matching more difficult.
Golden State has started to pull back from trade talks altogether, reinforcing their position that Kuminga will remain on the roster regardless of the outcome.
Several league executives believe Kuminga’s situation highlights one of the largest gaps this summer between contract expectations and actual trade value.
Potential compromise structures floated by team officials include two-year and three-year deals with player options to help close the negotiation gap.
Still, with both sides holding firm, the standoff is expected to continue deep into the offseason unless a new agreement is reached.
