Kuminga: Player Option or Qualifying Offer?

A few days ago, ESPN had very precisely detailed the negotiations in progress between the Warriors et Jonathan Kuminga. There is no need to question the origin of this information too much since Aaron Turner, the agent of the winger, confirmed all the points mentioned … in the podcast “The Hoop Collective” of ESPN.

The general idea is that the Congolese and his club are aware that the situation is not ideal for any of the two camps. Jonathan Kuminga is not very complementary to Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, then Steve Kerr cannot promise him a defined and constant role. But the Warriors do not have an interesting offer for the 7th choice of the Draft 2021. Enough to block negotiations, a few days before “training camp”.

For Aaron Turner, Golden State must make concessions: either agree to let go Jonathan Kuminga, even if the exchange seems disappointing; Either offer him financial security to compensate for the instability of his situation.

«And [les Warriors] want to win in the short term, if they want a happy player and treated fairly while he has an important role in this team, we think that, to move forward, they must give him a ‘Player option’ “explains the agent. “Its value as a currency of exchange certainly drops a little. But if you are focused on the present, you give it this option. You do not get a perfect agreement, but you get a correct agreement and he feels respected for what he gets, and we can all move on and focus on victory, helping Steph [Curry]. »

The best winger under 35 available next summer?

The problem is that the Warriors always refuse to include a “Player option” in their offers to Jonathan Kuminga, in the obvious perspective of being able to exchange it during the season.

“He will still have to sacrifice his game in his fifth year”continue Aaron Turner. “In addition to that, it could be transferred. He knows it. We know it. They know it. Finally, we have explored all the options. Myself, Mike Dunleavy, can we find a transfer that works? »»

And if no transfer is materialized, and that Jonathan Kuminga is not satisfied with the offers (75.2 million dollars over three years, with a third year in “team option”, is it really ready to accept the “qualifying offered” of 7.9 million dollars, in order to extend a season but to be free next summer?

“If JK makes this choice, he has advantages, right?” »» concludes Aaron Turner. “We discussed it. It cannot be exchanged. He becomes ‘free agent’ unprotected (next summer). People will say: ‘Yes but Aaron, there will not even be 10 or 12 teams [avec de la marge salariale]’. Okay, but there will be six teams with wage margin to recover the best winger under 35 years old available. So there are a lot of advantages. »»

How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = minutes; Shots = successful shots / tempted shots; 3pts = 3-point / 3-point attempted; LF = Successful free throws / tempted free throws; Off = offensive rebound; Def = defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; PD = assists; FTE: Personal faults; Int = interceptions; BP = lost bullets; CT: against; Pts = points.