GS Kuminga stalemate

Jonathan Kuminga is chasing the right to steer his own future. The Warriors have placed increasingly generous offers on the table, and his continued holdout underscores just how much he wants the next chapter of his career to unfold on his terms. From his vantage point, control is the only currency with value.

- ANTHONY L. CUAYCONG

Jonathan Kuminga is chasing the right to steer his own future.

The outlines of the dispute are clear enough. The Warriors first dangled a two-year package worth $45 million, with a team option that would enable them to pivot should they so desire. The latter appears to be nonnegotiable; the same option remained when they later sweetened the pot to three years at $75.2 million. Kuminga and his camp have balked at both, clearly angling to pair higher pay with structural changes to the deal: a player option and the preservation of his no-trade clause, even if attached to a shorter duration. His stubbornness does not come without risk, but it bears noting that each time he has gone to the negotiating table, the balance of power has tilted in his favor.