Turn Your Key Mike Dunleavy: The Jonathan Kuminga/Golden State Standoff Continues To Get Even Worse And Has Developed Into A Real Life Seinfeld Situation

It was only a week ago that Shams provided us with an update that the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga were nowhere close on any sort of extension to stay in GS or a sign and trade to send him somewhere else. He's not the only RFA currently dealing with this issue (see: Cam Thomas and Josh Giddey), and in the week since that last update, we're starting to get some of the details around what teams like the Suns and the Kings are offering for Kuminga. 

First, came the Suns offer

Does that blow your dick off if you're GS? Eh, it's fine. They do have a postiional need at center (Richards) and Royce O'Neale is a playable wing who can stretch the floor a little bit, so you could make the case that it's two "rotation" level players and then 4 2nd round picks. Not a godfather offer, but something that would definitely be better than potentially losing Kuminga for nothing should he accept playing on his qualifying offer this year and then bolting next summer.

Then we learned that Kuminga's camp turned down a 2/45M offer from GS with the second year being a team option, which he should. At the very least, negotiate that second year to be a player option, because what GS currently offered would also require Kuminga to waive his no trade clause. He'd be silly to do that, so rejecting that extension offer made sense.

Where things really get interesting is with the Kings, especially since now we know what their offer is

“As for the Kings, which last spoke with the Warriors earlier this week, team sources say they’ve offered a three-year, $63 million deal for Kuminga in a proposal that would send veteran guard Malik Monk and their 2030 first-round pick (lottery protected) to the Warriors. If that pick didn’t convey, then the Warriors would get the least favorable of the Kings or San Antonio’s first-round pick in 2031. Those protections have been the primary sticking point, team sources said, as the Warriors have insisted that the first-rounder be unprotected. Thus, the stalemate.”

Alright, what am I missing? For starters, Malik Monk has sneaky become kind of underrated? I'm not sure if people aren't watching Kings games on League Pass or something, but it feels like the perception around Monk is a little off. Is he perfect? No. Are there some questions defensively? Sure. But his playmaking has really taken a leap these last two years (averaged over 5 ASTs), and he's easily one of the best bench scoring guards in the league that you can spot start here and there, depending on injuries. Contract-wise, he's not getting paid anything all that crazy, AND he has a few years of control left, so it's not like GS would be giving Kuminga up for a rental.

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At the very worst, you can flip that contract for different pieces/picks if you end up needing to go down that route, but in terms of fit, I don't think Monk in GS is all that bad. A quick look at their depth chart tells you they could use some additional scoring/playmaking from a combo guard

and not to mention, they'd also be getting a 1st round pick. All for a player the Warriors clearly don't even want! Even if there are some slight protections on that 1st, again, this is all for a player that GS could ultimately lose for nothing. The longer they wait, the lower his value gets, especially if he decides to play on that QO. Even if you don't love Kuminga or Monk as a player, it feels odd that the Warriors would be so stubborn like this in a situation where they need to win NOW. This is their window. Steph, Butler, and Draymond aren't getting any younger. If they end up also bringing in Al Horford, he's no spring chicken either. 

Am I crazy to think that SAC offer is more than good enough? What exactly does Mike Dunleavy think is out there on the market that trumps it? If that deal existed, wouldn't this all be over by now? Maybe this is just a negotiating tactic to adjust the protection on that 1st round pick, but overall that package is something that helps GS now and potentially in the future as well. You figure out all the apron/cap stuff and just be done with this drama already so you can add your pending free agents (Horford/Melton etc) and remove any potential toxic drama that could kill another Warriors season. Remember how things went during the Green/Poole drama? They didn't make a trade, and it killed their season.

Instead, it seems like the Warriors are hellbent on keeping Kuminga hostage. He clearly wants a breakup, but the team refuses to turn their key. It's a move right out of Seinfeld

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Turn your key Mike Dunleavy! Turn your key! I honestly think this is the perfect explanation of what's happening between these two sides. Kuminga has turned his key. He's made it very clear the relationship between the two sides is cooked. He knows the Warriors don't want to pay him long term and are using their leverage of a brutal RFA market against him, and they know he's not going to accept anything they offer. Yet even still, the team refuses to turn their key and just move on.

As with most things, deadlines spur action, and really there's no rush seeing as how it's only August 1st. You would think the Warriors would be the ones that would want this to all be settled so they could make the rest of their offseason additions, but unless they finally stop being stubborn and just accept their reality, this whole thing doesn't feel anywhere close to being resolved anytime soon.