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Jonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors on the bench.
Jonathan Kuminga‘s future was clouded with uncertainty after the Golden State Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler in a blockbuster trade.
Kuminga is going to hit restricted free agency after this season while Butler, who signed a two-year, $112 million extension upon his arrival from Miami, is pushing the Warriors’ payroll back to the luxury tax territory again.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob provided some clarity to Anthony Slater of The Athletic about Kuminga’s future with the team amid their rising payroll.
In a recent interview with Golden State owner Joe Lacob, The Athletic asked if Butler’s addition would complicate Kuminga’s future.
“Why?” Lacob said.
Because Butler’s salary next season is $25.9 million more than Wiggins was scheduled to make.
“Yeah,” Lacob said. “So?”
So Lacob and the Warriors are still committed to paying what it takes to keep Kuminga, who will enter a thin market as maybe the most intriguing wing target?
“Absolutely,” Lacob said. “One hundred percent. Are you kidding me? I love that guy. We love him.”
Butler’s extension lines up with Warriors franchise pillars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
They will owe the aging trio of Curry, Butler and Green roughly $140 million next season. That number bumps up to $166 million with the guaranteed salaries of Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
According to Slater, the projected luxury-tax line next season is $187.9 million while the first-apron threshold is $195.9 million and second-apron limit is $207.8 million.
That would leave the Warriors about $41 million to spread on seven more players to go under the dreaded second apron.
Kuminga was “aiming for” a $35 million annual salary during their failed extension talks in the offseason, according to Slater.
One of the options for the Warriors is to move Hield’s $9.2 million salary and break it down to three minimum salaried players for them to sign Kuminga to a new extension while avoiding the second apron.
Jonathan Kuminga Injury Update
Kuminga was re-evaluated on Monday, Feb. 10 and the Warriors said he’s “making good progress.”
The medical bulletin from the Warriors also added Kuminga is expected to join team practices after the All-Star break. He will be re-evaluated on Feb. 20.
Kuminga has already missed 20 games since suffering the significant ankle sprain against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 4.
Before the ill-timed injury, Kuminga had his best stretch in his young NBA career.
The fourth-year forward has scored in double digits in 17 straight games, including eight 20-plus-point scoring. He had three games in which he scored more than 30 points, including a back-to-back career-high 34 in late December.
Over his last 17 games, Kuminga averaged 19.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 46.7% from the field and 37.3% from the 3-point line.
Jimmy Butler Not Worried About Jonathan Kuminga Overlap
It is a big question mark if Kuminga can co-exist with Butler, who likes him, is a non-shooting wing and prefers to attack the rim.
However, Butler isn’t worried at all about their overlapping roles.
“I figure we’ll spend a lot of time together,” Butler said of Kuminga, per Slater. “I would like to think I’ll make his job a lot easier and he’ll also make my job easier. He’s another individual they’re going to have to guard, they’re going to have to pay attention to. Then on defense, you got another quote, unquote ‘M’Fer’ that can switch, that can challenge shots, that can get out into the open floor.”
Kuminga too, isn’t worried. He welcomes Butler’s addition as a mentor to him.
“I like that guy,” Kuminga told Slater. “It’s great for us. I think it’s actually great for me, being around him, trying to pick up some of the stuff he does. I feel like I see myself kind of like having a similar type of game.”
