Source: Live broadcast
Translator's Note: The original text was published on EPSN. The data in this text are as of the time of publication (September 30th, local time), and the dates and times involved are local time. The viewpoint in this article has nothing to do with the translator and platform.
The Warriors signed an agreement with Coutinho for a two-year $48.5 million renewal
Warriors Rating: B +
On the day before the deadline for Kuminga to unilaterally accept an annual $8 million qualifying offer as a restricted free player, he chose to sign a longer contract with the Warriors.
Eventually, Coutinho was unable to refuse the reward for the contract.。 Under this contract, he will earn about $15 million more this season than accepting the qualification offer.But in exchange, he agreed to a team option for the 2026-27 season, which would limit his earning potential if he did well in a future season.
While Kuminga's desire to avoid long-term locking in his future is understandable-which is why he chose this contract over a three-year contract with options for the team, despite the latter's annual salary being roughly the same-the negative impact of such a choice may not be too great.As long as Coutinho remains with the Warriors, it will be difficult for him to get a $30 million annual contract.
Co-operation issues with Warriors core players Butler and Green influenced the negotiation process.Despite being the third-point break for the Golden State Warriors, Coutinho fell out of the rotating line of head coach Steve-Core during the team's post-season preparation.He failed to get an appearance several times, including in the Warriors'play-off victory and the first game against the Houston Rockets in the first round.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors needed Coutinho—or a better pitcher’s replacement—to manage time in regular games. Coutinho’s score became crucial in the second round against the Minnesota Forest Wolves when Stephen-Curry was out.In the last four games of that series, Kuminga averaged 24.3 points per game and shot 55%.
Kuminga's influence and his salary position give him extra leverage beyond the threat of accepting qualification offers. He could have chosen to sign after the start of the season, hoping that the team's injury situation would force Golden State Warriors to return to the negotiating table. However, this would be a huge risk, so it is understandable that Kuminga opted for the safer approach.
From the perspective of the Warriors, it is crucial that Kuringa’s renunciation would typically include a trade veto in this contract. The Warriors could have circumvented this limitation by exercising the option in advance of the 2026-27 season, making the contract a multi-year contract not bound by the Bird Terms, however.Kuminga's waiver of this trade veto means that the Warriors can include him in the trade as an expired contract if necessary.
The Warriors are more likely to find a Kuminga trade scenario that both sides are happy with. Obviously, the interest in Kuminga by the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings reflects his value in the league. It is complicated to reach a sign-first-then-exchange agreement this summer, because according to the basic year compensation rule, Kuminga's full salary cannot be included in the transaction. By Jan. 15, when Kuminga can be traded, though, the problem will no longer exist.
Coutinho’s optimistic outlook is that he’ll be celebrating his 23rd birthday next Monday and has already demonstrated excellent criminal skills. Last season, he had more than seven penalties every 36 minutes. Combined with his scoring performance in the first three seasons, Coutinho is expected to maintain stable efficiency given his high usage rate.
If this happens, Kuminga will become a full free agent before his 25th birthday and have the opportunity to add $48.5 million to his income on top of this contract. While it may not be Kuminga's ideal contract, it's a good outcome for all parties in the long run.
The Warriors officially signed Kuminga, paving the way for the signing of Seth Curry, Al Horford and D'Antoni Melton.The three players are expected to join Golden State this summer, but the exact amount of the contract is still worthy of attention. If Kuminga gets the full $48.5 million and Horford gets the full middle-class exception, the Warriors will not have enough salary space to keep all 15 players 'full NBA contracts under the hard salary cap.
The Golden State Warriors re-signed Melton with an old general’s bottom pay, which was a very calculated deal. Last year, the Warriors used a non-luxury tax-medium exception to sign a year’s contract with Melton, when he was a completely free player. Melton performed strongly at the beginning of the season, contributing 10.3 points in each 20.2 minute playing time, but unfortunately in the sixth game of the season he suffered a partial pre-crossband rupture and needed a season’s compensation surgery. Later, the Warriors exchanged Dennis-Schroeder for Melton’s salary space, but now they signed Melton back at a lower price, hoping he could rebuild his value after he got injured.
Author: Kevin Pelton
Translated by: Selu