Jonathan Kuminga's agent wanted to clear the air.
The end of Jonathan Kuminga's time with the Golden State Warriors was one of struggle, drama and countless disputes.
Last season and the offseason before it was dominated by conversations of bitter negotiations between Kuminga and the Warriors on a possible contract extension, but one that never truly manifested the way that Kuminga and his camp were looking for.
During the height of this contract dispute, there were rumors that the Warriors had offered Kuminga a contract extension of five years and $150 million, figures that would have been a massive step up from the money that Kuminga was making on his previous rookie contract.
Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) drives on Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesOf course, a deal of that magnitude was never made between Kuminga and the Warriors and Kuminha finally ended up signing a two-year, $48.5 million extension with the team that carried over when Kuminga was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, eventually leading the Hawks to decline Kuminga's team option for next season and send him into a free agency period where he eventually landed with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kuminga's Agent Cleared the Air
But Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, has been on a media tour as of late where he's been determined to clear the air about several rumors surrounding Kuminga's journey as a free agent these last two seasons, including the rumors about the Warriors' alleged $150 mllion offer last summer.
Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) controls the ball against the Washington Wizards during the second half at State Farm Arena. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images"This one needs to be cleared up, because this kind of started the chain: there was never an offer from the Warriors for five years, $150 million," Turner said (via RunItBackFDTV). "That never came on the table, In fact, to take it a step further, the Warriors never made an offer on an extension."
Turner went on to explain that the Warriors' desire for long-term financial flexibility prevented them from making any kind of offer and that Kuminga's camp wasn't going to be interested in turning down a $150 million contract if it was ever offered to them.
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) dunks against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half at American Airlines Center. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn ImagesProtecting Kuminga's Reputation
Turner's main goal in going on this media tour, it seems, is to dispel the notion that Kuminga is some kind of hard to work with player that could make future teams turn away from him and by clearing up the rumors and confusion around the alleged $150 million extension, he's hoping to keep that narrative from spreading even more.
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson (20) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesWith this new wrinkle in the end of Kuminga's tenure in Golden State, things only look more messy. With how long his free agent process with the team was and how his relationship with Steve Kerr seemingly degraded and along with it, his playing time, things certainly came to a messy end between Kuminga and the team that drafted him.
But they didn't come to that end because of greed on Kuminga's end, it seems, at least not the way that Turner tells it.
