news-engine

Jonathan Kuminga has reportedly agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Timberwolves after declining offers from the Lakers, the Bulls, and the Trail Blazers. The Lakers reportedly offered him a three-year, $36 million deal, but it did not include a player option. Kuminga apparently rejected the Lakers’ $23.6 million higher offer to “have more control of his future.” NBA fans, especially the Lakers’ supporters, were truly surprised to hear about this decision, since money was one of the key reasons he left the Warriors in the first place. They took to social media and flooded it with reactions about Jonathan Kuminga and his agent when they found out he rejected another major payday to bet on himself. “You went from thinking you were worth $25M a year, to getting a $12M annual offer from the Lakers to play in sunny California, just to end up making $6M a year in Minnesota. Your agent is absolute dog s–t.” “Genuinely curious what Kuminga and his agent think the magical massive contract that’s awaiting them is. Good luck!” “Kuminga should have looked at how PJ Washington got paid by playing with Luka.” “So Kuminga and his agent have turned down: a three-year, $75 million deal from the Warriors, a three-year, $40 million deal from the Lakers, to essentially take: a one-year, $24 million deal, and a two-year, $12 million deal, all for ‘control of his future’ to chase a bag that is never coming. Delusion at its finest.” “All Kuminga and his agent are gonna do next offseason is demand 25+ million and wait until September when nobody offers that, only for him to take another minimum and do it all over again.” Some people would respect the risk Jonathan Kuminga has taken by betting on himself. Kuminga knows the Timberwolves’ 2027-28 salary cap sheet already estimates $199 million allocated toward nine guaranteed deals next season and about $34 million in projected space before the second apron cap. Therefore, they will have very limited flexibility to give him another major payday, even if he impresses the front office with his contributions. At best, the Timberwolves can use a $16 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to pay Jonathan Kuminga next season, but even with that, he would earn $2 million less than what he would have guaranteed if he took the Lakers’ offer. Moreover, Kuminga’s actions make it clear this isn’t about money for him. He prioritizes playing time and contending for a championship over money. In less than two years in the league, he had won his first NBA championship with the Warriors. But he did not get any credit for it, as he spent most of the time on the bench. Therefore, it is apparent that Jonathan Kuminga thinks he will get the respect he feels he deserves if he adds another championship to his resume. In his first five seasons in the league, Kuminga averaged 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, while going 50.2% from the field and 33.2% from behind the three-point line. But none of the teams Jonathan Kuminga played for gave him consistent starter minutes (30+ minutes per game on average). So for Kuminga’s sake, we hope he finds his rhythm and flow with the Timberwolves and proves his capabilities. However, it may not have been the smartest move to sacrifice more money and guaranteed starter minutes alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to play in Minnesota.