The Sun Kings have made an offer to the Warriors! Kuminga is in no rush to make a decision: exploring various possibilities with his agent.

As of July 25, Beijing time, the Warriors are the only team in the NBA offseason that has yet to complete any signings, as they are waiting for the resolution of the contract situation with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. Notable reporter Shams reported that there are currently no signs that this stalemate will end anytime soon—he spoke with Kuminga during a training session in Miami that morning.

“Kuminga clearly told me that he is in no hurry to reach an agreement with the Warriors and will not accept their current offer,” Shams stated. “He also mentioned that he hopes to continue exploring other possibilities with his agent, Allen Turner, whether it’s negotiating further with the Warriors or seeking a sign-and-trade opportunity.”

Shams added, “I’ve learned that the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings have made specific offers to the Warriors in the past week or so. These two teams are the most aggressive in pursuing Kuminga and have both promised him significant playing time and a starting-level role—exactly what he desires most.”

The Kings are willing to offer Dwayne Carter, Saric, and a protected first-round pick, but the Warriors are only interested in Keegan Murray and Ellis, showing no interest in taking on Monk's contract.

Kuminga is the latest restricted free agent struggling to receive invitation contracts from other teams, and external offers could have helped him gain leverage in negotiations with his parent team. Since there is no risk of Kuminga accepting invitation contracts from other teams, the Warriors have no reason to raise their offer, and currently, no team has sufficient salary cap space to extend such contracts. This means any trade must occur through a sign-and-trade, butShams indicated that the Warriors are currently uninterested in the trade proposals from the Kings and Suns.

The current situation seems to indicate that both the Warriors and Kuminga have overestimated their leverage, and both are waiting for the other to make a concession. Kuminga initially thought he could secure a desirable contract from either the Warriors or another team, while the Warriors believe there will be teams willing to part with valued assets or players to acquire Kuminga. However, so far, neither side is willing to acknowledge their misjudgments and end this impasse, causing the Warriors' offseason to stall—signings for Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton can only proceed once Kuminga's situation is resolved. Additionally, reports suggest the Warriors are also interested in bringing in Seth Curry, Steph's brother.

For Kuminga, the final pressure tactic is to become the first high-level restricted free agent to accept a qualifying offer, betting a year to stay with the Warriors and then becoming an unrestricted free agent. This would grant him the right to choose any team, but this move carries significant risks.

Firstly, not locking in a long-term contract inevitably poses the risk of injury, which could jeopardize his career and limit future earning potential. Furthermore, the current NBA landscape is vastly different from the past; even if he becomes an unrestricted free agent, very few teams will have the salary cap space to offer him the high salary he desires. This means he may still need to pursue a sign-and-trade to secure an ideal contract, and at that time, while the Warriors would lose significant leverage, they would still maintain some control over the trade.

Therefore, accepting the qualifying offer is merely a last resort, and it will be at least a month or two before reaching that point. In the meantime, we can only wait and see: either one side will concede their current position, or this stalemate will continue until training camp approaches.