Restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga sent a message to the Golden State Warriors this week. The message was delivered through Warriors' star Jimmy Butler.
Butler organized and hosted a mini-camp for the Warriors ahead of training camp which starts on Monday, Sept. 29. He assembled the team in San Diego for a few days, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, and Kuminga was the only one from the roster who was not in attendance.
Charania was on NBA Today and gave the latest information on the most notable restricted free agent still without a contract for this season.
"So Jimmy Butler is actually holding a team function, a team minicamp, in San Diego this week. This is the first full year of Stephen Curry, Draymond, Jimmy Butler all together. One player that is not there, the only player on the potential Warriors' roster that isn't there, is the restricted free agent, Jonathan Kuminga.
"My understanding is he is not appearing at this team function, this camaraderie minicamp in San Diego. This is still at a stalemate. ... [and] Jonathan Kuminga did not appear at the first kind of team-related event the Warriors players had today."
Kuminga and the Warriors have until Oct. 1 to resolve their differences or to have the player simply accept the qualifying offer.
Charania also provided viewers with the latest word directly from the player's agent, Aaron Turner.
"I spoke to Aaron Turner, Kuminga's agent today and he told me, 'The player option still remains critical in these conversations.' We know about the three-year $75 million offer or [the] two-year $45 million offer. Both still have team options in them."
Turner did make it clear when he appeared on The Hoop Collective last week that the qualifying offer is Kuminga's last resort. He would like to work out a longer-term deal, without a team option. Short of that, he will play for $7.9 million and then test free agency next season. He would also be able to block any trade the Warriors might propose this season that he does not approve of.
The Warriors have their media day on Monday. It will be interesting to see if this saga is over by then.