Jonathan Kuminga spent months waiting for his next NBA contract. At 23 years old, the former No. 7 pick still had the age, athleticism and flashes of production that made him one of the league’s most interesting young forwards.
His next deal, however, did not look like the payday that usually follows that profile. The Minnesota Timberwolves gave Kuminga a two-year $12.4 million contract with a player option for the second year. That number only makes sense when the path that led him there is examined more closely.
Ex-NBA All-Star Goes OFF After Jonathan Kuminga Lands $12.4M Wolves Contract
The Money Changed Before Minnesota Entered The Picture
The biggest clue came from Atlanta. The Hawks had a $24.3 million team option for Kuminga and declined it in June. That decision immediately changed the market around a player who had once been viewed as a long-term piece in Golden State.
It also explains why the Minnesota contract looks so different from the salary attached to his previous season. Kuminga had been making $22.5 million, but Atlanta decided it would rather walk away from the chance to pay him $24.3 million.
That is where the financial story starts.
Arenas Saw The Same Numbers And Took It Further
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas did not view the situation as a typical free-agent decision.
“Bro, you just signed a podcast deal,” Arenas said. “How does your contracts keep getting worst? You were just balling in Atlanta. You did all this waiting; we’re over here fighting for you to sign a Costco member’s deal.”
This man Just signed a podcast Deal 🤦🏾♂️👀 Johnathan Kuminga i can make you a better offer (Dont sign) and u do GilsArena with me (Kuminga Arena) #soundsaboutright 💯 🗣️ @playmaker Meet me at his house and bring the check book 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/s8e3ZZsFlz
— Gilbert Arenas (@NoChillGilZero) August 27, 2026
He then went after the contract size even harder.
“If we knew you were selling a** this low … You would’ve been signed a long time ago. Who is your agent? Oh my God.”
The language is harsh, but the question underneath it is fair. If Kuminga believed his value was higher than the market suggested, why did waiting produce a contract this small?
Atlanta Gave The Market A Reason To Hesitate
The answer starts with what Kuminga actually did after arriving in Atlanta. He played 16 games for the Hawks and averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 22.1 minutes. He shot 47.6 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three.
Those are useful numbers for a young forward. They are not the numbers that force teams to ignore every concern.
Kuminga finished the 2025-26 season averaging 12.2 points across 36 games between Golden State and Atlanta. His career average is 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds across 294 games, including 98 starts.
That gives the criticism some foundation. The talent is clear, but the production has not yet reached the level of a player who can dictate his price.
His Best Season Still Did Not Remove The Questions
The strange part is that Kuminga has already shown he can produce more. He averaged 16.1 points in 2023-24 and shot 52.9 percent from the field over 74 games. That season gave Golden State a glimpse of the player it hoped he could become.
But one strong scoring season did not settle the larger questions. His three-point shooting has remained inconsistent. His role changed in Golden State. Atlanta used him for limited minutes after the trade. And he has never completed a season as an unquestioned full-time starter.
That combination helps explain why his potential remains more valuable than his track record.
The Lakers Offer Makes The Decision Harder To Explain
Then there is the part that makes Arenas’ criticism more difficult to dismiss. The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly offered Kuminga more than $12 million per season on a three-year deal. That would have given him considerably more guaranteed money than Minnesota’s two-year contract.
So Kuminga did not simply take the best long-term offer available. He chose the shorter path. That choice makes sense only if the opportunity in Minnesota can quickly improve his value.
The Player Option Is His Real Bet
The second year is where the contract becomes more interesting. Kuminga has a player option for that season, meaning he could return to free agency after one year rather than wait out the entire two-year agreement.
That changes the calculation.
He is giving up guaranteed money now in exchange for a chance to control his market again sooner. If he starts in Minnesota and finally puts together a full season that answers the questions around his game, he can test free agency with better evidence behind him.
If that does not happen, the smaller contract will look much worse.
Minnesota Gives Him The Exact Test His Market Needs
The Timberwolves can provide something Kuminga has not consistently had before.
A clear role.
Minnesota needed a starting power forward after moving on from Julius Randle and Naz Reid. That left the team with a frontcourt question that had been unresolved throughout the summer.
Now Kuminga has a chance to answer it. That opportunity also comes inside a roster that has changed how it wants to play. The addition of LaMelo Ballgives Minnesota another primary creator next to Anthony Edwards, which means Kuminga should not have to create every shot for himself.
That could be exactly what his market has been missing.
The Next Contract Will Decide Who Was Right
There is no need to decide today whether Arenas was right. The numbers already show that Kuminga took a major financial step backward. But the player option lets him turn that decision into a short-term sacrifice rather than a permanent loss.
His job in Minnesota is simple to measure. He needs to stay on the floor, produce efficiently, defend, rebound and show that he can make an impact without requiring the offense to run through him. Minnesota’s thinner frontcourt makes the rebounding part especially important after losing two major frontcourt contributors.
If Kuminga does those things, the $12.4 million deal could become the bridge to the contract he wanted all along. If he does not, then Arenas’ “Costco” joke will have a much stronger case behind it.
The contract is small. The opportunity is not. Now Kuminga has to make the second part worth more than the first.
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Photo Credit: Dale Zanine, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect