Will the Nets try to steal Jonathan Kuminga from the Warriors in free agency?

The Golden State Warriors will face a decision on Jonathan Kuminga’s future this summer. With the former No. 7 pick set to hit restricted free agency, they “are monitoring” the Brooklyn Nets as a potential suitor, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.

Golden State won’t be the only team monitoring Brooklyn as a threat to steal a key free agent. The Nets are the NBA’s only team projected to have significant cap space this summer, with over $50 million available.

However, their level of interest in Kuminga remains to be seen.

Warriors monitoring Nets as potential Jonathan Kuminga suitor

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Kuminga hasn’t taken the strides the Warriors had hoped for after selecting him in 2021. The 22-year-old averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 45/31/67 shooting splits this season. He logged DNP-CDs in Golden State’s play-in win over the Memphis Grizzlies and Game 1 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Kuminga was seeking a contract over $30 million annually last fall. It’s difficult to envision him landing that kind of commitment from the Warriors this summer, given Steve Kerr’s decision to bench him for the beginning of the playoffs.

While the Warriors will have the right to match any offer made to Kuminga, the Nets have the cap space to make things uncomfortable for them. Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks has a history of being aggressive in restricted free agency. He signed Otto Porter Jr., Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson to lucrative offer sheets in 2016 and 2017, which each of their teams matched.

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However, Marks had a conservative tone last week regarding Brooklyn’s offseason plans.

“If you’re going after max-level talent, they have automatically and absolutely change the trajectory of your team,” the GM told ClutchPoints. “This can’t be like let’s go get this [guy] and lock ourselves into being a 6-7 seed. When we go all-in, you’re going into compete at the highest level and contend.”

After re-acquiring their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks from the Houston Rockets last summer, the Nets have the sixth-best odds in May’s draft lottery. They’ll have another chance to tank for a top pick in next year’s draft, which features highly-touted prospects such as Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer.

Given this, Marks isn’t eager to make a big-time acquisition that would hurt Brooklyn’s draft position unless it elevated the team to contender status.

However, he could make a run at a young free agent if he feels the price and upside warrant it. Kuminga is one of several notable members of the 2021 draft class set to hit restricted free agency, alongside Josh Giddey, Santi Aldama and Quentin Grimes.