On September 12, important news came from the NBA circle. According to Monte Poole, a well-known Bay Area reporter, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is expected to accept a one-year qualification offer from the team. This also means that he formally rejected the two-year, $45 million long-term contract offered by the Warriors.
This decision made many people say they couldn't understand it. Who has voluntarily given up his annual salary of tens of millions of dollars? But after a deeper understanding, you will find that Kumingga's vision is far longer than we imagined.
Qualification quotation is a special provision in the NBA's labor and capital agreement. The team issues one-year contracts for restricted free agents, and the amount is automatically generated by league rules.
The $7.9 million qualification offer accepted by Kumingga is a key benefit behind it: Transaction veto. Under the 2023 New Labor and Capital Agreement, any player who signs a standard one-year qualification quote will automatically receive this protection clause.
This means that if the Warriors want to trade Kuminga next season, they must obtain his consent. He is no longer a bargaining chip at the mercy of others, but a player who can control his own destiny.
The Warriors provided a five-year, $150 million contract extension in the 2024 offseason, but the Kumingga team insisted on a maximum salary or close to the maximum salary (about 30 million to 38.6 million per year) that led to a breakdown in negotiations
In September this year, the Warriors offered a two-year contract of 45 million, but was rejected by Kumingga again. The latter directly chose 7.9 million a year. A simple calculation shows that he directly lost more than $37 million. This is not a decision that ordinary people can make.
But in the long run, if Kumingga performs well next season, he will be a complete free agent next summer and sign with any team without restrictions. By then, he is expected to receive a long-term contract with an annual salary of more than 25 million yuan. After this calculation, short-term sacrifice may bring greater returns.
The Warriors management is in a very complicated mood. They want to keep the talented young player, and worry about the team's salary space and luxury tax pressure.
The team has differences in positioning Kumingga: "He has been determined to be not the core of the winning goal, but can be the role of No. 3 and 4." There is obviously a gap between this positioning and Kumingga's self-expectation.
Last season, Kumingga averaged 16.8 points, 5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, with a shooting percentage of 45.9%. The data is good but the performance in the playoffs is mediocre, and the average 26 playoff games in his career averaged only 4.5 points per game.
Kuminga's choice is a high-risk, high-reward gamble. If his performance declines or suffers injuries next season, he may "lose his salary and lose his troops", and his market value will drop sharply.
It was also an adventure for the Warriors. If Kumingga makes a fortune and leaves next year, the team will lose this No. 7 pick in 2021 and will not receive any compensation.
But the Warriors at least retained their immediate combat power and maintained the window for championship. Moreover, Kumingga's value in the market is "absolutely greater than that in the Warriors", and this potential value makes the Warriors dare not give up easily.
There are three weeks left before the October 1 deadline, and things still have a turnaround. But judging from the current trend, it is very likely that Kumingga will accept qualification quotations.
The new season will be Kumingga's contract year and is his last chance to prove himself. For the Warriors, Kumingga's decision will affect the team's future strategy and lineup construction. They may need to adjust their roster to prepare for the future.
