A Contract Decision Under Scrutiny

Jonathan Kuminga's decision to decline a three-year, $75 million contract offer from the Golden State Warriors last summer has drawn renewed criticism after the forward signed a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The contract, which includes a player option in the second season, came after Kuminga's free-agent options narrowed, according to Sports Illustrated.

Had Kuminga accepted the Warriors' initial offer, he would have been earning about $25 million this season, as reported by Sports Illustrated. Instead, he is making $6.1 million this year and is slated to earn $6 million across the 2026-27 season, according to Yardbarker.

Agent's Handling Called 'Complete Malpractice'

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, speaking on the Game Theory podcast, criticized Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, for how he has managed the last year of the forward's contracts. Vecenie described Turner's handling as "complete malpractice as an agent," as reported by Yardbarker.

Vecenie pointed to Turner's own public comments, made in a 2025 interview with the San Francisco Standard, shortly after Kuminga declined the Warriors' offer. At the time, Turner defended the decision, saying, "Everybody's like, 'Aaron f---ed up.' I'm like, hold on. Did I fumble something? Because fumbling would mean like next year, if [Kuminga] is making $10 million a year, you could say I fumbled by not taking [three years for $75 million]. You can't say I fumbled because I didn't fumble anything yet."

Vecenie argued that most agents do not make press tours and that Turner would have been better off not commenting publicly, as reported by Sports Illustrated. He also suggested that Turner's recent remarks about the Kings and Bulls having historical interest in Kuminga and potential cap space next year were a misstep, potentially creating the perception that Kuminga is not fully committed to the Timberwolves.

Financial Comparisons to 2021 Draft Class

Kuminga, selected seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, has fallen behind many of his peers financially. According to Yardbarker, citing Spotrac, Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley, drafted ahead of Kuminga, are on max contracts paying over $50 million this year. Franz Wagner, picked after Kuminga, earns nearly $42 million, and Alperen Sengun is seventh at a similar level.

Of the 21 first-round picks from 2021 still in the league, Kuminga's $6 million salary is among the lowest, ahead of only two players on minimum contracts, as reported by Yardbarker.

A Series of Contract Moves

Kuminga's path to Minnesota involved several twists. After declining the Warriors' $75 million offer, he signed a two-year contract worth up to $48.5 million with a team option in the second year, according to Sports Illustrated. The Atlanta Hawks, who traded for Kuminga midseason, declined that team option, as reported by Yardbarker. The Warriors subsequently traded Kuminga, and he is now expected to start for the Timberwolves this coming season, according to Yardbarker.

Turner, in his 2025 interview, had argued that the decision was not a fumble because the future was still uncertain. With Kuminga's current salary well below what he could have earned, critics like Vecenie have questioned that reasoning, noting that the Bulls, who had cap space this offseason, chose not to offer Kuminga a contract, as reported by Sports Illustrated.