While the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga continue their game of chicken, the Chicago Bulls could be where the free agent comes home to roost.
“Don’t dismiss Chicago completely as a future landing spot for Kuminga,” The Stein Line insider Jake Fischer writes. “The Bulls are projected to have significant salary cap space next summer and there will be more teams compared to this summer’s barren marketplace. Those are among the factors that have Kuminga’s camp, I’m told, strongly considering the same route that Thomas went and accepting the $7.9 million qualifying offer from Golden State that expires Oct. 1.”
It’s impossible to surmise when Kuminga will make his contract decision, and it remains possible though improbable that the Warriors will raise their offer, as the Bulls decided to do to retain Josh Giddey. However, with Fischer’s latest report, there are two truths that become immediately clear. First, there still is no firm resolution for either Kuminga or the Warriors, although training camp is only weeks away. Secondly, Kuminga is likely leaning towards signing his $7.9 million qualifying offer and becoming an unrestricted agent next summer.
Warriors RFA Jonathan Kuminga Could Still Land With Bulls
There’s always been a bit of irony in the idea of Kuminga landing with the Bulls, who have been linked to the 2021 lottery pick for months, given that Kerr has become a rival of sorts.
Before the Beirut-born 59-year-old was on the sidelines coaching, he was a player. Drafted 50th overall in 1988 out of Arizona, Kerr lasted 15 seasons as an NBA guard, winning five championships. He played for six teams in all.
Kerr’s first season was spent with the Phoenix Suns. He was then traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Midway through his fourth season with them, he was traded to the Orlando Magic. Instead of re-signing with the Magic, he agreed to join the Bulls, where he would have his most memorable stint, largely due to the aura of NBA icon Michael Jordan. His time with Chicago wasn’t to last forever, as he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in 1999. His time with the Spurs was broken up by a single season with the Portland Trail Blazers, but he ultimately added two more rings to his collection in San Antonio.
With that in mind, perhaps bouncing around the league has colored his perception of the situation with Kuminga.
One Team’s Castaway, Another Team’s Mainstay
Many point to Kerr’s experience with title-winning teams as evidence that he knows what players are right for the job. However, he also has personal experience being shipped off by a dynastic squad. He felt what it’s like to be traded by the team he was drafted by. He knows that just because one door closes, it doesn’t mean another one won’t open or be better to go through.
Currently, his connection with Kuminga is patchy, at best. It may even remain that way. Nevertheless, it isn’t the end of the world for anyone.
The Last Word
About half a dozen teams are projected to have max or near-max cap space next summer. The Bulls could be one such team. After all, they’ll reduce their payroll by over $55 million with just the contracts of Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins and Kevin Huerter expiring. By that time, they’ll also have a clearer picture of their frontcourt, particularly in terms of Patrick Williams and Matas Buzelis‘s development.
With that in mind, Williams is more seasoned and Buzelis is more confident, but neither have a double-figure scoring average. Though Kuminga clearly needs to refine his skills, he’s at least capable of that. Over the past two seasons, the combo forward has averaged 15.8 points per game over the past two seasons. When playing for 30+ minutes, he’s averaging 20.8 points per game.
Winning basketball games isn’t that simple. However, just about every modern championship team has needed two or three players that can operate as a featured scorer. To that point, the Bulls don’t want to keep their steady veteran scorer (Vucevic). The future of their No. 1 perimeter scoring option, Coby White, is now up in the air. Giddey has been re-signed but he’s a playmaker more than he’s a walking bucket.
So, despite the negative press he received last season, having a player like Kuminga on board could be key.
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