The last thing the Milwaukee Bucks need on this roster is another overpaid forward who can’t shoot. That’s just the player they would get in a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade, a possibility for which they have reportedly expressed interest. Fortunately, the Warriors may save the Bucks from themselves, at least for now, according to the latest Kuminga contract news out of Golden State.
Kuminga Sign-and-Trade Now Seems Unlikely This Summer
A restricted free agent coming off his rookie deal, Kuminga is looking for a hefty bag in his next contract, possibly exceeding $30 million per year. A promising 22-year-old but a poor shooter and unproven as even a pseudo-star, he obviously isn’t worth that and the Warriors know it. They don’t just want to let him walk for free, though, and have been exploring sign-and-trade options all offseason.
So far, Kuminga hasn’t drawn the interest Golden State would like. The only public offer they’ve had is Sacramento’s: reserves Devin Carter and Dario Saric plus two second-round picks. The Warriors didn’t bite.
With trade talks stalemated, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reports that player and team appear headed for a reunion – if only a brief one.
Jonathan Kuminga is expected to back to the Warriors with a mutual understanding that he will be moved before the trade deadline in February, per @BrettSiegelNBA
(https://t.co/I8AC2DV71W) pic.twitter.com/UfDvIpegi6
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) July 12, 2025
This is good news for Bucks fans. Kuminga has a 33.2 career 3-point percentage and shot worse each of the past two seasons, down to 30.5% in 2024-25. That’s not what they need on the court alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. Kuminga’s lack of facilitator skills (2.2 APG) should also be a turnoff. Without a true point guard, the Bucks need to give Giannis at least one more capable playmaker.
How a Kuminga trade would even happen is uncertain. His shooting struggles are part of the reason Golden State wants to move him. The only player the Bucks could viably send out in exchange, Kyle Kuzma, is even worse. Established for what he is – what could be harshly called an efficiency sinkhole – he also lacks Kuminga’s potential.
But Kuminga also wants a sizable contract. For the Bucks, three or four years of Kuminga would burden the books past the expiration of Kuzma’s contract and hamper their ability to work around Damian Lillard’s $22 million dead cap hit.
Contract Crunch Not the Only Reason Kuminga News May Be Milwaukee Bucks Bailout
A three-year, $80 million deal for Kuminga would be an alarming overpay for a poor roster fit. In a one-for-one swap, the Bucks would also have to allot a higher first-year salary to satisfy sign-and-trade specifications.
Perhaps Kuminga wouldn’t even take that deal, anyway.
Instead of digging themselves deeper, the Bucks must learn from their Kuzma mistake – his combination of poor shooting and playmaking skills plague this offense. They should try earnestly to trade him, but for pieces who actually fit the team. Despite superior talent and potential, Kuminga hasn’t shown he matches the mold.
In any sign-and-trade, the Warriors want a decent haul. It would only compound the salary concerns to give up valuable young players or draft capital for Kuminga: disastrously so. By surrendering their 2031 first-rounder, one of their only draft assets, the Bucks would mortgage future prospects as well as their finances.
They don’t need to pursue Kuminga. They shouldn’t. At least until rumors start cooking again in February, it seems like the Bucks won’t be able to.
Whew.
For More Great Wisconsin Content
Follow me on X at @ezsniper14 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
