Jonathan Kuminga’s ongoing restricted free agency discussions with the Golden State Warriors remain one of the most prominent unresolved matters of this NBA offseason.
According to recent updates, including insights from Marc Stein via The Stein Line (Substack), a key obstacle in the negotiations stems from the Warriors’ request that Kuminga waive his de facto no-trade clause – a point of contention that has contributed to the stalled talks.
This request became especially significant following reports that Kuminga declined a two-year, $45 million offer that included a team option for the second year.
Under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, any player who signs a one-year deal – or a two-year contract with a team option for the second season – with the same franchise he previously played for automatically receives a limited no-trade clause.
This clause allows the player to veto any proposed trade for the remainder of the season unless he specifically waives that right during the signing process.
Several players this offseason, such as Jaxson Hayes, Taurean Prince, and Jeff Green, have chosen to forgo this veto right when re-signing with their teams, helping to streamline potential trade flexibility.
However, there are significant implications to such a decision. If a player in this contractual situation agrees to be traded – either by waiving his veto power in advance or by later consenting to a midseason move – he sacrifices his Bird rights with the team acquiring him.
Instead, he would only retain Non-Bird rights, which considerably limits the size of the contract that the team could offer him in free agency the following year.
In addition to his contract uncertainty, Stein notes that Kuminga has returned to his home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, amid the offseason.
Despite being back in the region, Kuminga is not expected to participate in this summer’s FIBA AfroBasket tournament.
While no formal announcement has been made regarding his status, sources suggest it’s improbable that he will compete for the national team as long as his NBA contract situation remains unresolved.
An implicit no-trade clause is complicating negotiations between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors: https://t.co/bf1UaEYnST
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) August 4, 2025
