Jonathan Kuminga, restricted
After being selected in the top 10 of the 2021 NBA Draft, there was plenty expected from Jonathan Kuminga heading into his NBA career - even more so considering he was selected by the Golden State Warriors. There was no reason why Kuminga couldn't emerge as a quality contributor sooner rather than later, especially if he was going to live up to his pre-draft expectations. All that to say, Kuminga did get off to a slow start to his career.
For about two seasons, the questions about Kuminga's future in the league were very much warranted. In his third season, as he got a bigger role, the hype surrounding Kuminga's star potential began to rise. Over the past two seasons now, Kuminga has truly begun to become more comfortable with his role in Golden State. Even though things haven't always been ideal between the Warriors and Kuminga, there's a reason why he hasn't been traded just yet.
That's probably because the Warriors still value him highly. It's hard to blame them, considering he does have flashes of star potential every so often. And at 22 years old, it would be outlandish for the Warriors to completely give up on him. Whether it's going to be with the Warriors or another team, there's no question that Kuminga finds himself in a position to cash in on a big free-agent deal this offseason.
This is what Kuminga has been playing to, and the big reason why he declined a "below-market" offer from the Warriors just before the start of the season. It's been reported that Kuminga wanted the max, and when Golden State failed to meet his demands, the two sides believed it was best to stop the negotiations. Heading into the offseason, the question remains: Has Kuminga done enough to warrant the big free-agent contract he's going to be seeking?