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The Golden State Warriors plan on extending the $7.9 million qualifying offer to Jonathan Kuminga this offseason, sources tell The Athletic. This will make him a restricted free agent and both sides are expected to explore sign-and-trade scenarios.

While Steve Kerr has struggled to give Kuminga consistent minutes and trust, the 2021 lottery pick remains a favorite of Joe Lacob. Lacob is unlikely to sign off on letting Kuminga leave the Warriors without something in return.

There is a real possibility of Kuminga remaining with the Warriors next season despite him being a repeated DNP-CD in several playoff games before injuries necessitated his return.

Kuminga, who is represented by Aaron Turner, averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists during the 24-25 season. Kuminga's fit in lineups with Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green have been clunky due to their collective lack of floor spacing. But there's been talk of Kerr giving that three-man combination more time alongside Stephen Curry to figure out how to play with each other. Butler has also discussed working with Kuminga this offseason.

“There are certainly things he has to improve on, but he’s 22 years old,” Lacob said. “He’s got a hell of a lot of potential, and I would think he would be a part of our future plans. Now we’ll have to see how the market all shakes out. We have a lot of evaluating to do. Not me necessarily. But everybody — from coaching staff to basketball operations. We’ll kind of sit around and talk about how we want to construct the team for next year and what the situation is with respect to him.”

Via Anthony Slater, Marcus Thompson II/The Athletic

As long as Stephen Curry is on the Warriors Kuminga is a bad fit for the team.

Steve Kerr should have tried some Phil Jackson principles because he should know a path to winning without living and dying by the 3. Worth a shot at least

TMac Culloch wrote:Steve Kerr should have tried some Phil Jackson principles because he should know a path to winning without living and dying by the 3. Worth a shot at least

Kerr lost his touch. That's the problem. Ws had a 3-1 lead, with Rockets played some zone in game 4 they won. Then all the Rockets did in game 5 and 6 are playing zone, that high school level of defense got the Ws players all dumbfounded as if they hadn't seen it ever in their life. That's all on the coach. Kerr has proved he doesn't adjust well in game or even the next couple of games. That's also why once Curry went down, they had no shot at all because nobody knew how to play anymore. They kept running the same complicated motion offense plays with little success, over and over again.

TMac Culloch wrote:Steve Kerr should have tried some Phil Jackson principles because he should know a path to winning without living and dying by the 3. Worth a shot at least

live or die by Steph Curry? Got it.

To me, it appears that Kerr didn't play Kuminga because ownership wants to keep him on a value contract, and if he was balling out, someone would swoop him with a big contract they wouldn't want to match.

When thinking about Wiseman and now Kuminga, the Warriors have had some rotten luck in the draft the past 5 years or so. That's why this 2 timelines nonsense strategy hasn't worked out.

Twinkie defense wrote:As long as Stephen Curry is on the Warriors Kuminga is a bad fit for the team.

Nah, Kerr is afraid of marginalizing Draymond. I’m pretty confident that a Steph/Kuminga PnR would be very productive, but he’s never going to betray his guy, for fear of getting his face smashed.

Cassius wrote:

Twinkie defense wrote:As long as Stephen Curry is on the Warriors Kuminga is a bad fit for the team.

Nah, Kerr is afraid of marginalizing Draymond. I’m pretty confident that a Steph/Kuminga PnR would be very productive, but he’s never going to betray his guy, for fear of getting his face smashed.

Warriors are not a pick and roll team. Players need to be in constant motion, run off screens, move the ball, make quick decisions, catch and shoot. And if Steph is open you'd better find him. Kuminga doesn't do any of that well - he fits in a stagnant offense where guys stand around while he isos.

Twinkie defense wrote:

Cassius wrote:

Twinkie defense wrote:As long as Stephen Curry is on the Warriors Kuminga is a bad fit for the team.

Nah, Kerr is afraid of marginalizing Draymond. I’m pretty confident that a Steph/Kuminga PnR would be very productive, but he’s never going to betray his guy, for fear of getting his face smashed.

Warriors are not a pick and roll team. Players need to be in constant motion, run off screens, move the ball, make quick decisions, catch and shoot. And if Steph is open you'd better find him. Kuminga doesn't do any of that well - he fits in a stagnant offense where guys stand around while he isos.

When they had KD (and I get it, it’s KD), then would run that 1-3 PnR like 10 times in a row during every close 4th quarter.

As far as Kuminga, I’d also love to see him playing the GPII role on offense of roving the baseline and being the recipient of the Draymond 4-on-3 lobs and back door cuts that used to go to Iguoudala.