"His a** is going to bench" - Former Warriors guard flags potential issue for Jonathan Kuminga after declining contract extension

Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors couldn't come to terms, resulting in Kuminga declining a contract extension with the team. Former Warriors star Gilbert Arenas theorized that Kuminga not signing a new deal with the team could be the reason why he's not a starter this season.

"I understand 1000% and I said it before, if [Jonathan Kuminga] don't sign that contract his a** is going to that bench," Arenas said on his podcast. "If he were to sign that contract, what [Golden State Warriors] wanted, he would have been starting doing everything he wanted to do."

According to sources, Kuminga and the Warriors were $5 million apart during their negotiation over the summer. The young forward asked for $35 million while Golden State only wanted to offer $30 million.

Ultimately, Kuminga passed on the offer and is now playing in the final year of his rookie contract worth $24.85 million. Given the turn of events, it's likely that Kuminga could become a restricted free agent when the season concludes.

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Looking at Jonathan Kuminga's potential final season with Golden State so far

NBA: New Orleans Pelicans at Golden State Warriors - Source: Imagn

Jonathan Kuminga is playing in the final year of his rookie contract with the Golden State Warriors. While he could've extended his contract with the team, Kuminga turned down the Warriors' offer due to a $5 million deficit. Due to the given circumstances, there's a slight possibility that the 2024-25 NBA season could be Kuminga's final year in Golden State.

Looking at Kuminga's first five games this season, he has put up some solid performances for the Warriors. His best game was when they went up against the New Orleans Pelicans last Thursday. The Warriors forward had an all-around performance with 17 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

His worst game was in the Warriors' second game of the season when they went up against the Utah Jazz. Kuminga was ice-cold and only had two points, one rebound and one assist in 18 minutes.

Jonathan Kuminga is averaging 11.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals. It's a significant downgrade compared to how he performed last season. Last year Kuminga averaged 16.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 2.2 apg.