PHOENIX – ESPN’s Shams Charania has reported that Jonathan Kuminga has declined the Golden State Warriors latest offer, reopening the door for the Phoenix Suns. The Warriors made a “renewed” push for Kuminga, but the 23-year-old declined the two-year, $45 million deal because of the franchise wanting to eliminate the no-trade clause.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Phoenix understands why Golden State wouldn’t want that clause in one of its players contract after the Bradley Beal disaster. The latest failure to reach a deal, gives general manager Brian Gregory leverage in sign-and-trade opportunities for the former lottery pick.
Dec 28, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
How the Suns play off Warriors latest offer:
The Warriors have reportedly want a return for Kuminga to be a first-round pick and a role player not on a bad contract. The Suns are strapped for first-round picks, which makes the asking price a steep ask for the team. However, Golden State’s continuous failure to sign Kuminga could have sank that asking price and Phoenix could prehaps get away with offering multiple second-round picks instead.
Dec 28, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) defends against Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
The franchise has a surplus of veteran players on the roster at the shooting guard position, that it could easily give up to the Warriors in a future deal. Kuminga wants a deal that is $30 million annually. The Suns are $6.5 million away from the 1st apron and $18.4 million away from the 2nd apron. If Gregory were to trade Grayson Allen’s $16.8 million and Nick Richards $5 million to Golden State for Kuminga and his $30 million salary, the team would only be $2.7 million over the 1st apron.
The goal for Gregory is likely to stay under both aprons, which is why he might be hesitant to offer the hefty contract the Warriors wing. He could replace Richards with O’Neale and would have slight room under the first apron to make the deal work without going over.
Jun 10, 2025; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns general manager Brian Gregory during an introductory press conference at the Verizon 5g Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Suns roster biggest need is another big wing to the rotation, with Ryan Dunn and Dillon Brook being the lone players from 6’6 to 6’8 to get significant minutes next season. Kuminga has scored 15+ points in the past two seasons and has proven to be a reliable scorer, especially in the playoffs, recording 24.3 points and 3.5 assists in the last four games against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2nd round.
Head coach Steve Kerr hurt Kuminga’s value by sitting him a majority of the first round and the start of the second round of last year’s playoffs. The Suns should take advantage of the Warriors mistake and try to add to an already young roster that is building towards the future.
Which Suns newcomer will make the biggest impact in 2025-2026 season?
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
