The NBA world erupted when 23-year-old forward Jonathan Kuminga signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves this week.
His two-year, $12.4 million contract allows him to fill a vacant starting power-forward role with the Timberwolves, but the transaction has been rather controversial. Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green recently spoke out on the subject, revealing a worry he has for his former teammate.
Draymond Green Comments on Jonathan Kuminga Signing
While hosting The Draymond Green Show, Green shared his candid reaction to Kuminga signing with Minnesota.
“J.K. Jonathan Kuminga signed with the Timberwolves on a 2-year, $13 million deal, plus a player option in the second year,” he said.
“I see a lot of people talking about J.K. and the dollar amounts, and like, listen man, so oftentimes people sit back and look at what happened in the past, and they just want to always point to that, but at some point, if there was a number, that was two years ago now,” he added.
He has to move on from the situation to ultimately put himself in a better position. He’s been promised the starting four spot; now here’s where those things get dicey,” Green added. “When you go to a team on a lower-level salary, in this case, the taxpayer mid-level, and all of a sudden that starting lineup isn’t getting off to great starts, the analytics say this group isn’t working that well together for whatever reason.”
Draymond reacts to Jonathan Kuminga signing with the Timberwolves with a promise to start at Power Forward
“Now here’s where those things get dicey, when you go to a team on a lower level salary… and all of a sudden that starting lineup isn’t getting off to great starts, the… pic.twitter.com/zxIp4VAEk9
— The Draymond Green Show (@DraymondShow) August 28, 2026
Green identified his primary concern regarding Kuminga, and it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to consider it.
“A $6.5 million salary in the NBA is a bench role salary,” Green explained. “Your salary determines ultimately how a team treats you. For instance, you look at Deshaun Watson; the Cleveland Browns have to give him an opportunity because of his salary, and so my only worry for J.K. is that if it’s not working, you’re the first plug that gets pulled.”
Before shipping off to the Timberwolves, Kuminga played for teh Atlanta Hawks for part of one season. Before then, he spent five campaigns with the Warriors, where he played alongside Green.
During his 2025-26 run between the two franchises, he averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He shot 46.3% from the floor across 36 games, starting in 14.
As Kuminga enters this new chapter in Minnesota, all eyes will be on his performance.
MORE: ESPN’s Brian Windhorst Reveals Why Jonathan Kuminga Rejected Lakers’ $12.4 Million Deal
As reported by Anthony Slater of ESPN, he chose the Timberwolves over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Chicago Bulls, and the Portland Trail Blazers. He decided to sign a shorter-term deal to potentially have more control down the line.
Once the season approaches, it will become clearer if this was a wise move.
