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By Nelson Espinal
Contributing Sports Reporter
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The Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga are locked in a standstill amid the forward's restricted free agency.
Kuminga came into the market hoping for another team to give him a nice payday, forcing the Warriors to match the deal or let him walk.
Contract talks with the Warriors did not go well early on, which has led to Kuminga considering picking up his qualifying offer and reaching unrestricted free agency next summer, when he'll have total control over his next team.
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The Warriors, for their part, were aiming to find a trade partner for Kuminga, getting back assets that fit better with the franchise's direction.
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Despite Golden State taking the forward high in the draft, his time in the Bay Area has been a roller-coaster ride.
Kuminga has clashed with the Warriors' playing style, often not doing what the coaches want him to do.
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This led to head coach Steve Kerr wholly removing Kuminga from his rotation down the stretch of last season until the Warriors needed him to play and create offense once Stephen Curry got injured.
Kuminga and the Warriors were headed for a divorce, but months into the offseason, there has been no traction in a move.
NBA training camp looms around the corner, and the potential of Kuminga taking his qualifying offer for the upcoming season is looking ever more likely.
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According to Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, the forward would be willing to stay on the Warriors, though he would want some changes on how he is used.
"The Warriors are the organization that drafted him, so of course he'd love to stay with one team his whole career," Turner said while on 95.7 The Game.
"He wants to be a focal point of a team. He wants a bigger role. That's not really a secret. Is he open to coming back? He's digested it, and he's open-minded to it."
The Warriors' offensive system revolves around moving the ball and moving off the ball, two areas in which Kuminga is not particularly prone to excelling.
He is better utilized as a focal point on offense, where he gets the chance to run pick-and-roll while also taking advantage of mismatches via isolations.
If no trade comes about and both parties reunite, both sides will need to compromise to make the 2025-2026 season a success.
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