When Betting On Yourself Goes Wrong (But May Turn Out Alright?) – The Saga Of Jonathan Kuminga's Latest Contract

Forward Jonathan Kuminga has joined the Minnesota Timberwolves on a two-year, $12.4 million deal. Normally, earning over $6 million a year is worth celebrating, but it seems Kuminga could have made a lot more.

Then again, depending on how he plays this year, Kuminga could potentially earn a huge raise next summer. It's a rare instance of when betting on yourself appears to have gone wrong, yet could ultimately end up turning out to be the right decision.

Let's see how this all unfolded.

The Golden State Warriors drafted Kuminga seventh overall in 2021, the same pick they selected Stephen Curry with in 2009. While no one with the franchise likely expected Kuminga to become an all-time legend like Curry, they had hopes that he'd be a solid complementary piece on the roster. And for a while, that looked to be true. Kuminga won a championship alongside his fellow Warriors in 2022, his rookie season. He eventually wound up being a solid contributor for the team, averaging a career-high 16.1 points per game on a career-best 52.9% shooting during the 2023-24 season.

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However, last year proved to be a different story. During the offseason, Kuminga and the Warriors spent months trying to agree on a long-term deal. The Warriors reportedly offered three years and $75 million with a team option for the third year, but Kuminga and his camp turned it down. On the last day of September, after most other free agents had been signed, Kuminga accepted a two-year, $46.8 million contract. The second year included a team option.

Kuminga wound up only playing 20 games for the Warriors during the 2025-26 season, falling out of favor in head coach Steve Kerr's rotation. After several healthy scratches, Kuminga and the Warriors both wanted to part ways. In February, Golden State traded Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks. He played in 16 games for the Hawks, and while he showed some flashes on the court, Atlanta decided not to pick up his second-year option.

That brings us to this summer. Kuminga's two-year deal with the Timberwolves includes a player option for the second season. He'll make a little over $6 million this year, and if he accepts the player option for the 2027-28 season, he'll make about $6.4 million next year.

So, if we look at the original deal Kuminga received, he turned down $75 million over three seasons in exchange for $36.2 million (the $12.4 million from his Timberwolves deal, and the $23.8 million he made from the Hawks last year). That's a decrease of over 50%!

It's even worse knowing Kuminga turned down offers from other teams, including one from the Lakers that would have paid him around $12 million annually over three seasons.

Whether this turns out to be a poor financial decision depends on how Kuminga plays in Minnesota. He should have a bigger role with the Timberwolves than he did with the Warriors, and that gives him an opportunity.

Kuminga is entering his sixth NBA season, though he'll only be 24 next summer. If he's coming off his best year, he'll almost certainly have a few good offers from other teams.

That means he could potentially turn a $6 million season into a multi-year deal worth much more than that, maybe even extending into nine figures.

The relationship with the Warriors had run its course. In a new setting, Kuminga has the chance to shine. And it could wind up paying off in the long run, even it doesn't seem like it will at the moment.