When I traveled to the Hawaiian Islands for vacation in mid-July, I expected that Jonathan Kumingga's situation would definitely be resolved during this period and then reported, right?

However, we are now in August, and the Warriors forward is still stuck in a stalemate with the team he has no intention of playing for, and also reminds people of this reality by posting mysterious social media posts.

Jonathan Kumingga posted on social media: "I will always bet on myself"

He also @ed his agent.

——The Warriors Talk

At the same time, the King and the Sun have not been able to convince the Warriors to send Kumingga to them by signing first and then changing.

Pour a Maitai cocktail for all parties involved. This is certainly not the way they want to spend these hot summer days.

As ESPN reported on Thursday, league sources confirmed that Kumingga had rejected the Warriors' two-year $45 million offer (the second year is the team option) and is now showing an increasing willingness to accept a $7.9 million qualification offer next season.

, so to speak, is a nuclear weapon option, which will make him a full free agent next summer. But if he is injured or performs poorly, it can also cause disaster. This is complicated for both sides. The deadline for this action is October 2. So, in other words, there may be plenty of time to spend in this regard.

Only the 22-year-old and his agent Aaron Turner know if he is really thinking about that uncertain path, but the Warriors certainly hope it's just a bluff. They need him to accept a $21.75 million contract next season to bring in cap space, just as they want him to give up the deal veto in the contract as a means to achieve their ultimate goal: add more top talent around Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green to pursue another championship. The Warriors' current A plan is to interrupt communication with interested teams to convince Kumingga to accept the current contract, which will put their total salary slightly below the second tyrant line. This way, the Warriors can (informally) plan to revisit Kumingga's market as they approach the February trading deadline. Plan

B - i.e. the idea of the king and the sun - is not feasible.

According to team sources, the negotiations between the Suns and the Warriors have never made any substantial progress. So while the Suns’ enthusiasm for contract quotations is indeed worth noting — a total of $90 million in four years, according to ESPN, it doesn’t matter as long as the Warriors continue to be uninterested in the Suns’ offer. As for the Kings, they had their last conversation with the Warriors earlier last week, with team sources saying they offered Cuminga a three-year, $63 million contract in a proposal that would send veteran defender Malik Monk and their 2030 first-round draft pick (loto protection) to the Warriors (a deal that would require the Warriors to lower their salary to stay below the No. 1 tycoon line, with potential players including Moses Moody or Buddy Hield). If that draft pick fails to be fulfilled, the Warriors will get the lower pick in the first round pick from the Kings or Spurs in 2031. Team sources said the protection clauses have been the main crux of the moment as the Warriors insist that the first-round pick is unprotected. Therefore, the deadlock emerged.

For the Kings, after parting ways with former general manager Mont McNair in mid-April, they reunited with the team's former vice president of basketball operations (and former general manager of the Knicks), Scott Perry, who regarded Cumingga as a young genius and certainly deserved a major, calculated investment. The price they offer is related to their desire to pay a luxury tax this season.

This situation may be a win-win situation for both parties. In this slow transition period after the De Alon Fox trade, the Kings can bring in a young, promising player when the roster is full of high-priced veterans. In turn, Kumingga could build himself into an All-Star player and should be able to earn a significant salary increase when he becomes a free agent again in the summer of 2028. The Kings believe that Kuminga can play power forwards and can also bring Keegan Murray back to his preferred small forward position, which is also an additional advantage. However, there are many obstacles, the most important of which is the patience and prudence that the king has always insisted on.

The Warriors are also potential free agent signing work such as Al Horford, D'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II, knowing their championship window is closing quickly. The Warriors are also keenly aware that screwing up Kuminga's situation will only speed up the closure of the championship window, and in the long run, Kuminga's choice of qualification quotes is financially unwise.

Therefore, this waiting game—and the situation where all parties have not given up—is continuing.

Author: Sam Amick

Translator: GWayNe