Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors have played a game of chicken this offseason that could be a preview of what the Detroit Pistons face with Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.
The Warriors have reportedly offered Kuminga a three year/$75 million deal with a team option in the third year, while Kuminga is seeking a longer deal with no team option. Neither side has been willing to budge, and it has put the Warriors’ offseason in a holding pattern, as they still have six open roster spots that can’t be filled until Kuminga is signed or traded, and training camp is just around the corner.
Even if the two sides come to an agreement, the Warriors will likely look to trade Kuminga, who would have no say over where he ends up, so Golden State not only needs to sign him, but it needs to be to a tradable contract.
But he does have one way to regain leverage, and it’s a scenario the Pistons want to avoid with Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.
The qualifying offer could be an option for Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren
Kuminga could choose to accept the qualifying offer, which would be a risk, but put control back in his hands.
He’d be giving up a ton of guaranteed money to do it but would then have a no-trade clause and be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Most restricted free agents just take the guaranteed money in this situation, but recently Cam Thomas bet on himself with the qualifying offer, hoping to cash in next offseason when there are more teams with cap space.
If Kuminga chooses this route it would completely screw the Warriors, who would then have zero team control over his future and risk losing him for nothing.
Both Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren will enter restricted free agency unless they are extended by October 20th and this whole thing could play out in a similar fashion if the Pistons can’t come to an agreement.
Even if Ivey and Duren have breakout seasons, they are the types of players the league is increasingly going away from, and as we saw with Thomas, there may not be a huge market for a scoring guard who isn’t a great defender, which is the current description of Ivey.
Teams want their bigs to be able to stretch the floor, protect the rim at an elite level and at least be passable on the perimeter, which all areas where Duren currently struggles.
It’s not unthinkable that they will be in the same spot as Kuminga, as players who have not yet totally proven themselves but want big paydays, nonetheless.
It’s a situation the Pistons hope to avoid, and the best-case scenario is that Duren/Ivey play well and then re-sign on deals everyone can live with, but we’ve seen this offseason how tricky restricted free agency can be and that there is a big disconnect between the demands of non-stars and what teams are now willing to pay.