Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is considered one of the players most likely to part ways with his current team in the near future. After a tense off-season of contract talks, Kuminga is back for his fourth and likely last season for the Warriors. Recently, Kuminga found himself making headlines once again for something other than his on court play.
NBA Announces Jonathan Kuminga Fine
The league office announced that Kuminga is being fined $35,000 for making inappropriate contact with a referee and pursuing a referee. Kuminga was ejected in the second quarter of the Warriors’ 118-111 person victory over the Portland Trail Blazers due to his frustration at a non-call. Kuminga was driving to the basket, and Trail Blazers’ wings Jerami Grant and Deni Avdija appeared to make contact with him. Kuminga had seven points, six rebounds, and four assists in the game before his ejection.
The NBA is fining Jonathan Kuminga $35,000 for making inappropriate contact with a referee and pursuing a referee during his ejection from Tuesday’s Warriors-Trail Blazers preseason game.
He was upset at this no-call on this play:pic.twitter.com/mbmLWc1h55
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 16, 2025
Kuminga’s ejection and fine are just the latest chapter in what has been a complicated road to the upcoming season. A restricted free agent, Kuminga seemed ready for a fresh start with a new team. The Warriors were interested in keeping Kuminga, but at a lower number than he wanted. Kuminga also reportedly expressed frustration at the Warriors’ decision to include a team option in the contract, which would eliminate his built-in no-trade clause.
“Who let [Kuminga] sign that deal? Give [the Warriors] a second option. After they proven what they would do to him last two years. That sh*t wild.”@KenyonMartinSr & @NoChillGilZero disagree that Jonathan Kuminga made the right decision in Golden State. pic.twitter.com/hANO6NfkQE
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) October 16, 2025
Kuminga and his agent explored multiple sign-and-trade options, but the Warriors were not interested in the trade packages offered by the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. Kuminga then expressed that he wasn’t interested in signing the $7.9 million qualifying offer. Ultimately, the two sides reached a temporary solution, with Kuminga signing a two-year, $48.5 million deal that is essentially a one-year commitment, with Kuminga signing a new deal next off-season, likely with a new team.
The Warriors selected Kuminga with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft. He averaged 15.3 points per game last season while shooting 45.4% from the field and 30.5% from three. However, his true shooting percentage was a below-average 53.5% and his plus/minus rating of +6 was the second lowest of his career.
Kuminga has frequently clashed with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. He started a career low 10 games last season, another sign that he hasn’t earned Kerr’s full confidence. He even found himself in last season’s playoff rotation at times, though he averaged over 15 points a game while shooting 40% from three in his eight appearances.
Kerr admits that Kuminga is frustrated because he hasn’t taken the next step in his career, but there are lineup flaws. Kerr says that Kuminga plays a limited role because of the lack of spacing when he shares the court with former All-Stars Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.
The Warriors had a plus/minus rating of -26 when Green, Butler, and Kuminga shared the court last season. While Kerr may feel that it’s impossible to play the three wings together for a significant length of time, Kuminga believes he’s earned a bigger role. Kerr will have to navigate this balancing act for at least one more season.
