Golden State Warriors veteran forward Draymond Green addressed the ongoing absence of restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga on Monday, highlighting the effect missing players can have on team rhythm at the start of the NBA season.
“I think anytime a teammate’s not here, it sucks,” Green said during media day. “Not having multiple guys here due to the situation is unfortunate because media day marks the start of another NBA season. It’s that stamp that says, ‘All right, it’s about to get real.’ Everyone deserves the opportunity to feel that, including him. He’ll look back on this, and you always have that little memory of missing one.”
Kuminga, 22, skipped media day as his contract standoff with the Warriors continues. Pending the resolution of his situation, veteran center Al Horford and guard De’Anthony Melton cannot finalize their contracts, leaving them unavailable for the start of training camp.
Kuminga-Warriors Contract Standoff
Kuminga continues to resist the Warriors’ three outstanding contract proposals. According to ESPN insiders Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, the team’s most lucrative offers include a two-year, $45 million deal and a three-year, $75.2 million deal, both with team options for the final season. The only offer without a team option is a three-year, $54 million deal.
Kuminga’s camp has pushed for a player option instead of a team option, a request the Warriors have not accepted. The restricted free agent forward has threatened to accept the $7.9 million qualifying offer, which expires Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Taking the QO would make him an unrestricted free agent next offseason and give him control over any midseason trade due to the offer’s no-trade clause.
Understanding the Business Side
While the holdout complicates the start of camp, Green expressed understanding of the business realities while maintaining empathy for the players involved.
“He’s got to do what he’s got to do for himself. This is a business, and it’s unfortunate when the business side gets in front of things, but nonetheless, it is a business and you can’t ignore that side of things,” Green said. “Hopefully, none of them miss too much time and they’ll be here pretty soon, including him. We want him here. For anyone involved, it doesn’t feel good—you want to get in your rhythm, get in your flow, and do your thing. I feel for all those guys involved, including JK.”
Early Season Challenges
Green stressed that early-season practices are critical for building team chemistry and getting into game rhythm, and absences can disrupt that process. It is a challenge that they have to navigate if they want to have a deep playoff run with an aging core.
“Championships aren’t won in the first few days of practice,” he said. “It’ll be a distraction if we don’t have as many guys, and we’ll be tired going through practice. As a vet, you usually can slide to the back and let the younger guys get reps, but you don’t get that privilege. That will suck. I don’t expect this to go on much longer. There are injuries during the season, family issues, or illness—you must go on with the guys that you have. This is no different.”
Green is Kuminga’s biggest supporter on the team. The young forward looks up to him as a mentor. But Green is not influencing Kuminga on his looming decision.
Does Kuminga Want to Stay?
After talking to Kuminga, Green expressed confidence that the young forward still wants to remain with the franchise.
“I think anyone should want to be in the franchise that they started in,” Green said. “Do I think he still wants to be here? Yes. He told me that he still wants to be here. When you’re still with the franchise that drafted you, you don’t just throw that away. Once you move on to the next franchise, it’s never the same. I’m thankful—I’m going into year 14 with the same team, and I’ve never had that experience, but I’ve seen people go through it. It will never be the same.”
As training camp begins and the season approaches, the Warriors await a resolution with Kuminga, hoping to integrate their full roster and maintain their championship window around Stephen Curry and the core of their veteran players.