Three roads are placed in front of you! Kumingga wants protection, the Warriors want flexibility, who will give in first?

Translator's note: The original text was published in The Athletic. The data in the article were as of the time of publication (September 16th local time). The dates and times involved are all local time

From an overall perspective, what Jonathan Kumingga really wants is actually not important at the current node.

So, although the 22-year-old winger met in Miami in mid-August with Warriors owner Joe Lacob and explored this issue about his positioning—a point that is indeed very noticeable, the cruel fact about his restricted free agent status is that the relationship has long passed that stage. For many years, this cooperation has not been considered successful, neither party has got what they want from this cooperation, and breaking up seems inevitable. Now, it's more of a marriage of interests than a love story. The kind of money and support that the

Kumingga wanted was something that the Warriors were unwilling to provide. And the Warriors are hoping to equip Stephen Curry as many players as possible with high-influence and compatible players, hoping to sign Cumingga with a contract that facilitates future trades in exchange for a more suitable player. This is very clear.

But less than two weeks before the start of the training camp, the real question that Kumingga faces is: as a way to achieve his long-term goals, what situation can he accept in the short term? As Warriors sources confirmed to The Athletic, Kumingga recently received a variety of contract options offered by the Warriors that would provide him with more security than the two-year $45 million (the second year is the team option) contract that was left unattended for most of the summer.

With this in mind, here are three possible outcomes.

1. He accepted a one-year, $7.9 million qualification offer before the October 1 deadline, thus obtaining the trade veto and the right to become a full free agent next summer. According to league sources, Kumingga's agent Aaron Turner has been hinting that this is the most likely outcome unless the Warriors raise their coverage (specifically, providing coverage for the third season could change the situation).

2. He can also accept the Warriors' updated offer to ensure a richer salary, but this will mean he will be back in a rotation that makes it difficult for him to fit in - coach Steve Cole has long questioned his integration, and the situation may be even more serious after Jimmy Butler's arrival. This option will definitely make Rakob happy because as the promoter of choosing Kumingga with the No. 7 lottery in 2021, his well-known love for Kumingga is clearly still there. It is worth mentioning that a team source said that the recent contract negotiations between Kumingga and the Warriors were relatively positive. If the Warriors were willing to offer more coverage in their third season – they haven’t done so far – then the possibility of this option would be much greater.

3. The Warriors changed their current position on signing first and then changing, and decided to exchange him for some assets now, instead of risking losing him in vain in the future. The Kings and Suns remain two main suitors, though league and team sources say the possibility of a deal with either team is very small unless there is a significant change in their respective offers. Team sources said the Kings believe Kumingga really wants to play for them. The Warriors interrupted negotiations with the two teams earlier in the summer, but could always restart negotiations at the last minute. On the

Kings, they quoted veteran defender Malik Monk and a protected 2030 first-round pick while agreeing to give Kuming a three-year $63 million contract, but they insisted on attaching protection clauses to the first-round pick, which remains a major obstacle to reaching a deal. If the protection clause is completely removed, some stakeholders believe that the Warriors will likely change their positions. As I previously reported, the fact that the Warriors may have to send Moses Moody or Buddy Heard away in a deal with the Kings, thus keeping their wages below the first-tier luxury tax line is also considered an obstacle. And, this is not the only financial factor. Monk's existing contract will last until the 2027-28 season, when he has a $21.5 million player option. The length of his contract brings similar problems with the Warriors in negotiations with Kuminga as they hope to maintain maximum flexibility for the summer of 2027 (as of now, they only have Moody’s $13.4 million and Hilder’s $10 million player option on their books by then). The Warriors are very aware that the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Nuggets' Nikola Jokic both have player options in the 2027-28 season, and they are by no means the only side in this battle to chase stars. Highly-known teams like the Lakers and the Clippers have also sent similar signals in recent months.

On the surface, players like Kumingga have occupied a lot of headlines for a long time in the offseason, which is almost a bit funny. But then again, the interests of his situation far exceeded his personal wishes and needs.

Most importantly, this could have a significant impact on Curry and other core players in the Warriors. After getting Butler from the Heat in February, the Warriors showed the strength of a championship contender, achieving a record of 23 wins and 8 losses, with a net efficiency value of +9.2, ranking third in the league. But there is an undeniable gap between their roster and the defending champion Thunder, both because of the aging reality they face (Curry 37, Butler 36, Draymond Green 35), and because of the overall composition of their roster. A sobering background is that Las Vegas bookmakers only place them on the 11th spot in the NBA championship odds list next season.

But if Kumingga's contract can become a bridge for another quality player by the February trade deadline, or even part of a big deal to bring in top stars, then they are one step closer to realizing another championship ring.

By the way, Kumingga doesn't have to care about these things at all. All he needs to do - by the looming deadline of October 1 - is to choose one of these imperfect paths and keep working hard. Even if that wasn't what he really wanted.

Author: Sam Amick

Translator: GWayNe