Jonathan Kuminga played just 16 regular-season games for the Hawks. According to his agent, that was enough to establish him as their best player.
Aaron Turner made that case during an appearance on The Kevin O’Connor Show, pointing to Kuminga’s impact after arriving from the Warriors at the trade deadline.
“He was their best player from the moment that he showed up in terms of winning impact,” Turner said. “He had the best on/off net rating, in the regular season and in the playoffs.”
Turner wasn’t finished. “In their two wins against the Knicks, who had the best net rating?” he said. “These are not opinions, these are facts. Who had the best net rating? Jonathan Kuminga.”
Well then. Kuminga certainly played well after Atlanta acquired him in the deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Golden State. He became an important part of the Hawks’ bench and played a significant role in their two playoff victories over the Knicks.
Whether that made him Atlanta’s best player is another matter.
The Hawks apparently didn’t see him as indispensable. They declined Kuminga’s $24 million team option this summer and ultimately watched him sign a two-year deal worth roughly $13 million with the Timberwolves.
Turner said Atlanta’s long-term commitments to Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels also factored into the decision, with Kuminga potentially facing a smaller role on an expiring contract.
“Where was the growth for JK?” Turner said.
That’s ultimately why Turner believes Minnesota, even at considerably less money, offered the better situation.
And yes, the numbers Turner cited are real. Sixteen regular-season games are real, too.
But if Kuminga can become Minnesota’s best player, well, then we’ll really have a story.
The Cavaliers are keeping Nae’Qwan Tomlin right where he’s been earning it.
Cleveland is promoting Tomlin from his two-way deal to a standard contract, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, with agent Aaron Turner telling ESPN that the 25-year-old forward has agreed to a two-year, minimum-salary deal that’s fully guaranteed through next season.
This one was always coming.
Tomlin hit the NBA’s 50-game active limit for two-way players Monday night, meaning the Cavs either had to shut him down or lock him in. They chose the latter, and frankly, it’s been overdue.
Tomlin has gone from long-shot project to nightly contributor. Through 43 appearances this season, he’s averaging 6.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 17.1 minutes, giving Cleveland energy, defensive versatility, and real frontcourt depth during a year that’s demanded it.
The road here wasn’t exactly straight.
Tomlin played for four different colleges from 2019-24, went undrafted out of Memphis, and spent last season bouncing between the Cleveland Charge and a pair of short NBA stints.
He signed a 10-day with the Cavs in February of last year, earned a two-way deal in March, and quietly kept working.
Now he’s part of the rotation on a team chasing something real.
Because Cleveland is operating over the second tax apron, the Cavs were limited in what they could offer. No raises. No extra years. Just the minimum and no longer than two seasons.
By fully guaranteeing both years, they essentially made Tomlin their best possible offer under the rules.
If the promotion becomes official ahead of Wednesday’s game against Washington, Tomlin will earn roughly $718,000 the rest of this season and just over $2.4 million in 2026-27.
Cleveland had an open roster spot, so no corresponding move is needed.
More than anything, this feels like a reward for trust earned. Tomlin didn’t ask for minutes. He took them.
The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have finally reached an agreement, putting an end to a months-long contract standoff just as camp gets underway.
Kuminga is re-signing with Golden State on a two-year, $48.5 million contract, agent Aaron Turner told ESPN. The deal includes a team option, allowing the Warriors to rip up and renegotiate the contract next summer if they choose.
Negotiations between Turner and GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. stretched from July into late September, with Golden State ultimately bumping its offer by about $8 million within the two-year structure and guaranteeing Kuminga roughly $15 million more than he would’ve made on his qualifying offer for this season.
Kuminga passed on a three-year, $75 million offer to maintain more control over his short-term future.
The Warriors never budged on keeping the team option in place — and both sides understand that trade talks could pick up once Kuminga becomes eligible in January, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency saga keeps taking turns. After more than a month without contact, the Warriors and Kings recently reopened sign-and-trade discussions, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Progress was minimal, but the fact that the Pacific Division rivals are talking again suggests Sacramento isn’t ready to move on.
Earlier this summer, the Kings put a three-year, $63 million offer in front of Kuminga and offered Golden State a package of Malik Monk and a protected 2030 first-round pick. The Warriors declined, and for good reason.
Golden State isn’t overly sold on Monk’s fit, and his $21.6 million player option for 2027-28 isn’t appealing to the front office. Taking him back would also hard-cap the Warriors at the first apron under base-year compensation rules, which would make it tougher to finish filling out the roster.
That would likely require shipping out Buddy Hield or Moses Moody in a three-team deal, and so far, the Warriors haven’t shown much interest in going that route. On top of that, the protections on Sacramento’s pick are considered too restrictive, with Golden State hoping for lighter terms before they’d even consider saying yes.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have reportedly made new offers to Kuminga, including a three-year, $75 million deal with a team option in Year 3. His agent, Aaron Turner, continues to push back, insisting on a player option and keeping the qualifying offer on the table as a viable outcome.
Signing the $8 million QO would give Kuminga a no-trade clause and a clear path to unrestricted free agency in 2026.
With the October 1 deadline looming, this stalemate can’t last much longer. Either the Warriors sweeten the pot, the Kings step up, or Kuminga bets on himself and takes the one-year deal.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania on NBA Today, Kuminga did not appear at the gathering as his contract stalemate with Golden State continues.
Kuminga’s camp, led by agent Aaron Turner, remains adamant about landing a player option on the deal. The Warriors’ offers — reported as either three years, $75 million or two years, $45 million — have come with team options, not the player control Kuminga is seeking.
That’s the hangup. And with the October 1 deadline looming, Kuminga’s choices look increasingly stark:
Sign the qualifying offer worth $7.9 million, which would give him a no-trade clause and make him an unrestricted free agent in 2026,
Strike a new deal that finally includes the player option,
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga remains a restricted free agent, and his agent, Aaron Turner, is making it clear that the qualifying offer is very much on the table.
“There’s a lot of upside,” Turner said on ESPN’s Hoop Collective podcast. “He wants to pick where he wants to go. So the QO is real for sure.”
The Warriors’ latest proposal is a three-year, $75.2 million deal with a team option on the final season. That would guarantee Kuminga $48.3 million over the first two years — but Turner said his client isn’t willing to settle for another team-controlled deal.
“If (the Warriors) want to win now, if you want a guy that’s happy and treated fairly who is a big part of this team moving forward, you give him the player option,” Turner explained. “You don’t get a perfect deal, but you get a pretty good deal, and he gets to feel respected about what he gets and we all move on and worry about winning, helping (Stephen Curry).”
Golden State has refused to include a player option, which is why Kuminga sees appeal in taking the one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer. That would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer and let him choose his next team outright.
Turner isn’t shy about the upside of that scenario.
“If JK wants to take (the qualifying offer), it does have upside, right?” he said. “You’re not getting traded. You’re going to have unrestricted free agency. There’ll be six teams with cap space for the clear-cut under-35 top wing on the market. So there’s a lot of upside.”
Other suitors are already circling. Turner confirmed Kuminga has spoken with the Kings –who reportedly offered him a three-year, $63 million deal with a player option — and the Suns, who were willing to pay him in the $80-88 million range over four years.
Neither offer turned into a trade package the Warriors liked, but the interest is real.
Kuminga isn’t opposed to staying in Golden State, but Turner pointed out the obvious. He’d be battling Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green for minutes, as well as potentially Al Horford.
“No guarantees he starts any games,” Turner said. “He may, but we don’t know. Finishing games, night to night, who knows? It depends if (coach Steve Kerr) has a combination he likes and it’s working. Maybe he sticks with it. Maybe he doesn’t.
“You’re going to have to not have the ball as much. You’re going to have to stay away from developing certain parts of your game, or wanting to lean into certain parts of your game, especially shooting any type of mid-range jump shots, which is something JK does work on.
“But in the Golden State offense and the role he’s in, that’s not going to be a big shot that he’s really going to be able to take much.”
With media day less than two weeks away, the standoff is hitting crunch time.
Turner said Kuminga would even consider a shorter two-year contract if the Warriors allowed him to keep the no-trade clause that comes with it.
“Two years from now, if you want to keep him, you’ll have his Bird rights (even if you give him a player option),” Turner said. “You treat him good and you show him the plan, then maybe you keep him.
“(The player option contract) is not perfect, but I don’t think anybody can get everything they really want. If you ask JK, he wants Jalen Green‘s deal. He’s not getting that. He wants Jalen Johnson‘s deal. You’re not getting that. If the Warriors, we feel like, pick the front end (of the contract), if that number needs to be lower to stay under a second apron, (it’s a) player option.
“Or if it’s about really controlling the back end of the deal, move the number up, shake your roster up and you can have a team option. Or, the hybrid model, let him keep his no-trade clause.”
Jonathan Kuminga has made it clear he has no desire to return to the Warriors.
Per Ashish Mathur of Dallas Hoops Journal, NBA sources say Kuminga “really wants” to play for the Kings and has “zero interest” in suiting up for Golden State again.
Sacramento has already made a push. The Kings reportedly offered Malik Monk and a protected 2030 first-round pick in a sign-and-trade for Kuminga.
They also told the 22-year-old forward and his agent, Aaron Turner, that they’d be willing to hand him a three-year, $63 million contract with a player option in Year 3.
The Warriors, however, aren’t biting. Last week, Golden State countered with a three-year, $75.2 million deal of their own — but with a team option, not a player option. Kuminga turned that down.
His camp then presented a three-year, $82 million proposal with the player option included, but GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. rejected it.
Part of the tension stems from Kuminga’s relationship with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, which multiple reports have described as rocky.
By contrast, the Kings have told Kuminga they view him as a future All-Star and high-usage forward under head coach Doug Christie — something that strongly appeals to him.
Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 47 games last season, though he played sparingly in the playoffs unless injuries forced Kerr’s hand.
The former No. 7 overall pick has until Oct. 1 to sign his $7.9 million qualifying offer.
If he does, he’ll hold a no-trade clause for this season and hit unrestricted free agency next summer, when multiple teams will have cap space to pursue him.
Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. has been ordered to pay his former agent, Aaron Turner, the full 4% commission from his current contract, per Michael McCann of Sportico.
An arbitrator ruled that Jones failed to give Turner the required 15 days’ written notice before terminating their agreement.
That means Turner is owed $1.2 million from Jones’ three-year, $30 million deal with the Clippers.
Jones testified that he negotiated the deal directly with the team after being “furious” with a prior Mavericks offer of three years, $27 million.
He attempted to waive the notice period with Turner, but Turner declined.
Potential Clippers Penalties in Kawhi Case
So what happens if the NBA determines the Clippers circumvented the salary cap through Kawhi Leonard’s controversial Aspiration endorsement deal?
That could include a fine of up to $7.5 million for the team, a $350,000 fine for Leonard, the loss of draft picks, suspensions for owner Steve Ballmer or other team officials, and even voiding Leonard’s contract.
Hollinger notes the latter scenario could have wild ripple effects — Leonard would become a free agent and could sign with a contender for the minimum.
Silver: ‘We Will Get to the Bottom of It’
Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the matter at the Front Office Sports conference, via Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Silver said the league has retained an outside law firm and added: “We will get to the bottom of it. I don’t know anything about Kawhi’s deal. Show, no show; we’ll certainly find out.”
That means $48.3 million guaranteed for the first two years — basically the same annual money Josh Giddey just got from the Bulls. The big difference? Giddey’s deal is fully guaranteed. Kuminga’s would leave him hanging as a potential trade chip.
The new proposal is a step up from the two-year, $45 million package offered earlier this summer. But the sticking points remain the same: team options, trade flexibility, and no player control. Kuminga and agent Aaron Turner want a player option and argue that if the Warriors insist on controlling the third year, his salary should bump closer to $30 million annually.
Golden State isn’t biting. Owner Joe Lacob has been Kuminga’s loudest supporter since drafting him over Franz Wagner in 2021, but he’s also made it clear he won’t risk losing Kuminga for nothing next summer. That’s why the Warriors shot down the idea of a one-year “qualifying offer-plus” deal that would let Kuminga walk as an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
Other teams have circled. The Suns were willing to hand him four years and up to $88 million. The Kings offered a shorter deal with a player option. Both packages would’ve made Kuminga a starting forward elsewhere. Golden State balked, deciding it didn’t like the return — role players and draft scraps.
So here we are: training camp less than two weeks away, Kuminga unsigned, and the Warriors’ other roster moves on hold. Steve Kerr has told people Kuminga would see plenty of minutes this season if he re-signs. Kuminga’s camp isn’t so sure, pointing to Kerr’s playoff comments about fit alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.
Unless Lacob steps in to sweeten the pot or green-light a trade, this standoff isn’t ending anytime soon.
The contract impasse between the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga is not going away, and it remains the storyline shaping Golden State’s summer.
The offer on the table from the Warriors has stayed the same: two years, $45 million, with a team option for the second season, as reported by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. Fischer adds that Golden State also wants Kuminga to waive his right to block trades during that year.
Kuminga and agent Aaron Turner are holding firm. They have no interest in a short deal with conditions, not when Phoenix was prepared to give Kuminga four years and nearly $90 million in a sign-and-trade that included a player option in Year 4.
Sacramento and Chicago have also expressed interest, further reinforcing the idea that Kuminga has a market beyond Golden State.
His last resort would be to take the $8 million qualifying offer that expires Oct. 1, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2026. That path comes with risk, but as Fischer notes, it may also be the bigger gamble for the Warriors, who would face the prospect of losing him for nothing.
Trade scenarios
According to Fischer, the most realistic target in any Kuminga trade would be Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III. The Warriors see Murphy’s length, defense and outside shooting as a perfect fit alongside Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
The problem is New Orleans has no interest. The Pelicans have rejected all inquiries about Murphy, who is 25 years old and on a desirable $25 million contract for next season. San Antonio has also registered interest in Murphy, but again, it the Pelicans are intent on keeping him.
As for bigger swings, Fischer reports the Warriors have indeed checked on LeBron James’ availability with the Lakers, calling multiple times over the past 18 months. The challenge is matching James’ $52.6 million salary without gutting the roster, which makes such a deal unrealistic. The same goes for any scenario involving Giannis Antetokounmpo.
What comes next
In the meantime, Golden State’s roster sits with six open spots, the most in the league. Rival executives expect Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II to fill three of those, with second-round pick Will Richard expected to claim another.
Melton and Payton are projected for minimum deals. Horford, 39, has waited patiently all summer as the Warriors manage their cap situation.
One rival team hoped he might lose patience and consider other offers, but league belief remains that Horford will land in Golden State on the $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception, potentially with a player option for 2026-27.
For now, though, everything revolves around Kuminga. Until the Warriors decide whether to lock him up or move him, the rest of the roster is stuck in neutral.
The Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga never reached the serious negotiating table when it came to a rookie scale extension last NBA offseason.
Despite ongoing discussions, Golden State reportedly never put forth a concrete offer, even one approaching $30 million per year.
That’s according to Anthony Slater of ESPN, who appeared on The Hoop Collective podcast Friday with colleague Brian Windhorst. Slater, then with The Athletic, previously reported that Kuminga may have been open to a deal below max value, but the Warriors weren’t willing to make the numbers work.
In fact, Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, tweeted this week that the 22-year-old forward never received or rejected an offer worth even $30 million annually.
Slater essentially backed that up during his podcast appearance, adding that Golden State was reluctant to formalize anything due to the poison pill provision that would’ve impacted a potential trade in 2024-25.
“I think Jalen Johnson getting five years, $150 million gave a target,” Slater said, via HoopsRumors. “I’ve been told Kuminga’s camp would’ve taken five for $150 if it was ever on the table. It wasn’t.”
A max extension for Kuminga would’ve landed in the $43–45 million per year range, depending on length. But after an inconsistent 2024-25 campaign, in which he played just 47 games and saw dips across multiple categories, his market value has cooled significantly.
Fred Katz of The Athletic recently polled 16 rival executives to gauge what a fair deal for Kuminga might look like. The responses ranged from $17 to $25 million annually, with only one exec floating a five-year, $125 million scenario.
Most front-office voices around the league believe a three-year contract would be ideal, with many suggesting a third-year player option and citing similarities to Jalen Green’s deal in Houston. Green signed a three-year, $105 million extension with a player option before being dealt to Phoenix earlier this month.
NO one on our side was turning down 30M a year. Our camp is smarter than that. Narrative makes no sense, twisted up Slater’s words I think! #Fakenews
“It feels like a Jalen Green-type deal that keeps him tradable,” one exec told The Athletic, suggesting a three-year, $70 million offer. “Definitely less than he probably wants, but the player option gives him some flexibility.”
“If I’m the agent, I’m trying to get a short-term deal so I can get out of there and get somewhere else but still make some money in the meantime,” another said.
One option still on the table is for Kuminga to accept his $8 million qualifying offer and test unrestricted free agency in 2026. But that route carries risk for both sides.
From the Warriors’ perspective, locking Kuminga into a new deal could be key to maintaining trade flexibility. Right now, only Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green are on the books for more than $11.6 million in 2025-26, and none are expected to be moved.
“If he takes the qualifying offer, the Warriors are f—ed from a team-building standpoint,” one executive told The Athletic. “Because they need to get him on a deal where they can trade him. That’s the key for them.”
The Phoenix Suns have expressed at least exploratory interest in a sign-and-trade arrangement centered on Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, per Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
Kuminga is a restricted free agent, and according to Fischer, agent Aaron Turner has met with Golden State’s front office to discuss working out a deal. It’s been nothing doing so far.
Turner is meeting with the Warriors with the hopes of landing a contract “that pays at least $25 million in average annual salary … whether that’s to stay with the Warriors or switch teams via sign-and-trade,” Fischer wrote.
“Sources say Phoenix, meanwhile, is the latest team to express exploratory interest in a Kuminga sign-and-trade … challenging as it would be for the Suns to make such a deal happen,” Fischer wrote.
Phoenix is just the latest team linked to Kuminga, joining the likes of the Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, Miami Heat and a few others.
Rumor: Cavaliers, Mavericks, Knicks Hoping LeBron James Gets Bought Out By Lakers Before Next NBA Seasonhttps://t.co/tG9RP5mCdK
“The Suns, to be clear, do not appear to possess the sort of draft capital or players that Golden State is believed to be seeking in exchange for Kuminga,” Fischer wrote, adding that Kuminga was among those mentioned during the season when the Warriors were exploring a trade for Kevin Durant (now with Houston).
Kuminga played in 47 games for the Warriors this past season. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 45.4% from the field, 30.5% from beyond the arc and 66.8% from the foul line.
A one-time NBA champion, Kuminga turns 23 in October. He has career averages of 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists with Golden State.
This idea was something I discussed on the Hoops Wire Live show a day earlier, as Thor is a big man who’s coming off a fine showing in the Olympics with South Sudan.
Thor, 21, is 6-foot-7 and was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft. He was immediately traded to the Charlotte Hornets. He appeared in 63 games last season, averaging 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds.
He is the first known two-ay signing for the Cavaliers, filling one of three available spots. Forward Emoni Bates is considered another candidate for a two-way role, as are Pete Nance and Isaiah Mobley, who finished last season with two-way deals in Cleveland. But both are currently unrestricted free agents, able to sign anywhere.
Two-way players can appear in up to 50 NBA games. Anything beyond that and they either need to be signed to a standard deal or released.
The Cavs are still on the lookout for help in the frontcourt and still have some available roster sports. Center/forward Darius Bazley, center Bismack Biyombo, and center Harry Giles are among some of the more intriguing names on the market. Forward Marcus Morris, who finished last season with the Cavs, is also a possibility to return.
Thor is represented by agent Aaron Turner, a product of Orange, Ohio, outside of Cleveland.
The pick is lottery-protected, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Should it fall in the lottery in 2027, it would convey to 2028.
Rozier is represented by Aaron Turner, the Orange, Ohio, product who helped pushed the deal forward. Rozier also hails from northeast Ohio.
Rozier, 29, is the type of explosive player Miami had been seeking for its backcourt. He is averaging 24.0 points and 6.7 assists, shooting 46 percent overall and 38 percent on 3-pointers. He is making $23.2 million and reportedly was hoping to land in Miami if traded.
Lowry is in the final year of a contract that pays him $29.7 million.
The Heat originally signed him to a three-year, $85 million deal in August 2021 as part of a sign-and-trade arrangement with the Toronto Raptors.
This season, he’s averaging 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals, shooting 43 percent from the field and 39 percent on 3-pointers.
Lowry, 37, is a six-time All-Star. He carries NBA career averages of 14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.3 steals with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Raptors and Heat. He was a member of the Raptors’ 2019 championship team.
Miami (24-19) is in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, more trades could be on the way for Charlotte (10-31), who is said to be open to moving everyone other than point guard LaMelo Ball, rookie forward Brandon Millerand center Mark Williams.
The Charlotte Hornets are finalizing a trade sending Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat for Kyle Lowry and a 2027 first-round draft pick — developing story at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/hPIDRd6B3o
