"My door isn’t open yet" - Warriors forward gets honest on potential $224 million extension with Golden State
Whether the Golden State Warriors front office is ready to accept it or not, they will need to think about their future past the Steph Curry era. That future could be in the hands of forward Jonathan Kuminga, but as it stands, he and the front office are yet to agree on an extension.
Kuminga, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, will become a restricted free agent if an extension isn't agreed upon. However, he does not seem to be worried about that based on what he told Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard.
According to Kuminga, it isn't time for him to sign an extension yet, but he said that it will come eventually.
"Everybody’s got their time when God opens their doors," Kuminga said. "My door isn’t open yet. At some point it’s going to be open. Obviously soon or anytime, I know they’re going to be open."
Some of Jonathan Kuminga's peers who were drafted in the same class as him have already gotten huge extensions from their respective teams.
Scottie Barnes, who was taken fourth by the Toronto Raptors and made his first All-Star team last season, was given a five-year rookie scale extension this summer. The deal is reportedly worth north of $220 million. A similar deal was struck between the Orlando Magic and Franz Wagner.
Both players could reportedly reach $270 million if they reach the criteria for a supermax. These contracts for both players will kick in once the 2025-26 season begins.
The Warriors are yet to offer the same deal to Jonathan Kuminga.
Also read: "Golden State is bluffing" - Former Warriors guard red flags Congolese forward's $224 million contract extension
The Warriors are reportedly not ready to offer an extension to Jonathan Kuminga
The Golden State Warriors' future became muddled when they traded away Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards. Things seemed to become a bit clearer when Kuminga had a breakout season in 2023-24.
He averaged 16.1 points per game, which is a huge leap from his production in his first two seasons when he averaged just a little under 10 points per game. He also played a bigger role in Steve Kerr's system, starting in 46 of the 74 contests he played in.
Despite the improvement, the Warriors are still not ready to offer him the rookie max, according to Anthony Slater.
According to Slater's article for The Athletic, Kerr is still waiting for Kuminga to display more versatility to be placed into different lineups. Kuminga himself claimed in the article by Tim Kawakami that while he is a small forward, he is capable of playing any role asked of him.
Jonathan Kuminga will have a chance to prove this versatility at training camp and in the preseason. However, he needs to make an impact before the October 31 deadline otherwise he will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.