During Thursday’s Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), NBA insider Jake Fischer reiterated multiple times that he expects the four primary restricted free agents — Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Quentin Grimes (Sixers) and Cam Thomas (Nets) — to continue to be in contract standoffs with their respective teams for some time.
“Again, we are still in a holding pattern with all these restricted free agents, and we are — at this juncture — expecting all those situations to linger deeper into August and get into September as well,” Fischer said. “Don’t expect a resolution for Jonathan Kuminga, for Josh Giddey, for Quentin Grimes, for Cam Thomas, anytime soon.”
According to Fischer, the Warriors haven’t shown any interest in the trade packages the Kings and Suns have offered in sign-and-trade scenarios for Kuminga, but they also don’t want to lose him for nothing.
“Jonathan Kuminga’s side, I believe, right now, would be willing to take a two-plus-one with a player option three-year deal,” Fischer said. “I think that Jonathan Kuminga’s side would take this one-plus-one situation with Golden State — this two-year, $45MM offer that’s been on the table — if he were to get a player option in year two.
“But I was told yesterday from various sources that Golden State is going to be holding firm … that second year is going to be a team option. And that’s kinda where this staring contest is at.”
Here’s more from Fischer:
- The Warriors currently have only nine players signed to standard contracts, with the Kuminga stalemate continuing to hold up their other offseason business. While it has been speculated that Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II are likely to be signed only after Kuminga’s situation is resolved, Malcolm Brogdon and Seth Curry remain on Golden State’s radar, according to Fischer, with Javonte Green another player mentioned.
- The Bulls are monitoring Coby White‘s upcoming free agency, Fischer says. White will be an unrestricted free agent next season, and Fischer notes that there’s talk of White wanting a contract that exceeds $30MM annually. That expectation may be factoring into the calculation of Chicago playing some level of hardball with Giddey’s free agency.
- Thomas looks the most likely of the four RFAs to accept his qualifying offer, Fischer confirmed. The high-scoring guard views himself as a $30MM+ per year player, but the Nets haven’t approached that figure and have only offered him short-term deals to this point, Fischer said.
- While Fischer confirms the latest reports on Trae Young‘s disappointment at the lack of an extension offer from the Hawks, he says that it was also somewhat expected by Young’s camp. He calls this year an opportunity for Young to maximize a roster built to complement his game, as well as an opportunity for the new front office to evaluate the players on the roster. If Young is able to maximize the team and reach All-NBA, he’d be eligible for a much larger deal, and he also has a player option that would allow him to enter free agency next year as the top free agent on the board if he were to choose to decline his option.
- Prior to dealing him to the Jazz, the Celtics had talks with the Grizzlies during Summer League about a deal that would send Georges Niang to Memphis, Fischer says, while adding that the rumored framework of Anfernee Simons for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was never actually on the board. Fischer notes that before RJ Luis signed with the Jazz, he was considering signing an undrafted deal with the Celtics. The Jazz are expected to keep Niang as a veteran leader. Fischer also says that he’s not as confident that Simons gets traded before the season starts as he was that Niang would be dealt.
- Fischer notes that Bennedict Mathurin is likely to receive a bigger role this season with the Pacers due to Tyrese Haliburton‘s injury, and that Mathurin is also hoping to secure a deal that would pay him $20-30MM per year. He adds that many of the incomplete rookie-scale extensions, as well as the aforementioned restricted free agents, will likely not get done until the October deadline.
