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Aussie ‘looked fantastic’ in NBA comeback push; Kuminga makes big call after four-team race – Daily Ben Simmons has reportedly “looked fantastic” in a recent workout as interest builds in the Australian free agent, with an NBA team preparing to get a first-hand look. Meanwhile, Jonathan Kuminga has finally made his free agency call after a four-team race, while Stephen Curry is nearing talks over a monster extension that could make him a Warrior for life. Catch up on all the latest NBA news in our NBA Daily! Watch the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. SIMMONS TURNS HEADS AS KINGS INTEREST BUILDS Ben Simmons has reportedly impressed during a recent workout as the Sacramento Kings continue to explore a potential move for the Australian. Sacramento radio host Dave Carmichael revealed he had received a glowing review of Simmons following a workout on Wednesday. “Somebody who was at those workouts said that Ben Simmons ‘looked fantastic’,” Carmichael said. It comes after Carmichael reported that Kings general manager Scott Perry would be in Florida on Wednesday to watch the free agent guard-forward go through a workout as Sacramento weighs up a potential move. Simmons has also separately been spotted training alongside former NBA All-Star Victor Oladipo at the Canes facility in Miami as both players prepare for potential opportunities ahead of the new season. The 30-year-old remains a free agent as he searches for his next NBA home, with Sacramento emerging as a team to watch. The Kings’ interest now provides another intriguing development for Simmons as he attempts to secure his next opportunity in the league. KUMINGA MAKES CALL AS WOLVES WIN FOUR-TEAM RACE Jonathan Kuminga has finally made his free agency decision, reportedly agreeing to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves as the Western Conference contender wins a four-team race for the talented forward. ESPN’s Shams Charania reports Kuminga’s deal also includes a player option, giving the 23-year-old greater control over his future after choosing Minnesota ahead of rival offers from the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers. Kuminga is expected to immediately slot into Minnesota’s starting five alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. The Lakers reportedly offered Kuminga a similar opportunity to start and more than $12 million annually across three years, but the former Atlanta Hawk instead opted for the shorter-term deal in Minnesota. According to Charania, the ability to maintain greater control over his future was a key factor in Kuminga’s decision. Minnesota had aggressively pursued Kuminga throughout the past month, eventually offering its best available financial tool in the taxpayer mid-level exception alongside the promise of a significant on-court role. Edwards also reportedly played a major part in the Timberwolves’ “full-court recruiting press” to land Kuminga. Timberwolves president Tim Connelly travelled to Miami earlier this month for a four-hour face-to-face meeting with the forward, while Kuminga also held productive conversations with head coach Chris Finch. The recruitment ultimately paid off, with Minnesota adding another explosive young talent to a roster already expected to contend in a loaded Western Conference. For the Lakers, meanwhile, Kuminga’s decision means another target is off the board despite Los Angeles reportedly putting a longer and significantly more lucrative contract on the table. CURRY SET TO STAY PUT IN BAY AREA Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are reportedly preparing to discuss a contract extension that could ensure the superstar finishes his legendary career in the Bay Area. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Curry and the Warriors are expected to hold extension talks once the four-time NBA champion becomes eligible to sign a new deal on Saturday. The latest development follows reports detailed in Wednesday’s NBA Daily that Curry will become eligible for a staggering two-year, $US136.7 million (A$190m) extension from August 29. According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, Golden State is prepared to give Curry control over how he handles his future, whether that means signing the lucrative extension immediately or waiting until next offseason to negotiate a new contract. “The Warriors are open to any deal Curry wants, and both sides will be on the same page about the future, whether he takes an extension now or waits to sign a new deal until next offseason,” Siegel reported. Slater’s latest report now further points towards Curry remaining in Golden State for the entirety of his career, further cementing one of the defining player-franchise relationships in NBA history. Curry has spent his entire career with the Warriors since being selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, transforming both the franchise and the league during his time in Golden State. Alongside four championships, Curry has won two MVP awards and established himself as the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history while becoming the face of the Warriors’ dynasty. Now, rather than speculation emerging over where the final chapter of Curry’s career could be played, Golden State appears ready to ensure it happens exactly where it started. READ MORE NBA DAILY: NBA powerhouse open to ‘any deal’ for MVP as $190m call looms; rival star circledHEAT GET THEIR MAN: Four-time champ joins loaded East contender; MVP’s stunning admission after Miami move PELICANS FINALLY LAND LONG-TIME TARGET AS CLIPPERS CALL QUESTIONED Bennedict Mathurin is heading to New Orleans after reportedly agreeing to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Pelicans. ESPN’s Shams Charania reports the deal includes a player option, giving Mathurin significant control over his future after prioritising flexibility over longer-term offers carrying larger overall financial commitments. Mathurin’s representatives reportedly approached the Los Angeles Clippers about withdrawing his $8.8 million qualifying offer, allowing the 24-year-old to turn that situation into a more favourable deal with New Orleans that also provides additional security. The decision means the Clippers are set to lose Mathurin for nothing after acquiring the former lottery pick as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Ivica Zubac the other way. And Los Angeles’ handling of Mathurin has already attracted criticism, particularly after the franchise instead opted to bring in 33-year-old veteran Bradley Beal. NBA analyst Jake Weinbach questioned the Clippers’ decision to prioritise Beal over a 24-year-old Mathurin in free agency, describing it as an “interesting move”. Mathurin ultimately prioritised maintaining the earliest possible path towards unrestricted free agency next summer rather than accepting longer-term offers that carried greater overall value but would have given teams more control over his future. For New Orleans, meanwhile, the move ends a pursuit that has lasted more than a year. According to Charania, the Pelicans have aggressively targeted Mathurin throughout that period and view him as a significant piece of their young core moving forward. The structure of the deal also allows New Orleans to remain below the luxury tax line this season while adding another talented young scorer to its roster. Mathurin now gets the combination of opportunity and flexibility he was searching for, while the Clippers face questions over allowing one of their most intriguing young assets to walk for nothing. DRAYMOND’S BLUNT KLAY WARNING AFTER HEAT MOVE Draymond Green has warned Miami Heat fans to temper expectations surrounding former Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson following his move to South Beach. Thompson recently joined the Heat after agreeing to a two-year deal, beginning a new chapter in the five-time All-Star’s career. But Green, who spent more than a decade alongside Thompson during Golden State’s championship dynasty, believes expectations need to be realistic about the player Miami is getting at this stage of his career. “Let’s stop acting like 2017 Klay is going to Miami,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show. Thompson was one of the NBA’s premier two-way guards at his peak, forming part of Golden State’s championship core alongside Green and Stephen Curry. But Green is also intrigued by how his former teammate will adjust to Miami’s famously demanding environment and the organisation’s much-publicised “Heat Culture”. “I don’t know how that’s going to work for Klay because Klay moves to the own beat of his own drum,” Green said. “I want to see how that fits into the ‘Heat culture’ stuff.” Green knows Thompson as well as almost anyone in basketball after the pair won four championships together with the Warriors. And while Thompson still provides Miami with elite shooting and championship experience, Green’s comments provide an intriguing warning about what Heat fans should expect from the veteran as he enters the latest chapter of his career.