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Getting A Kuminga Deal Done Beats Alternative For Golden State
Getting A Kuminga Deal Done Beats Alternative For Golden State

Forbes

time12 hours ago

  • Sport
  • Forbes

Getting A Kuminga Deal Done Beats Alternative For Golden State

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 12: Anthony Edwards (5) of Timberwolves in action against Jonathan ... More Kuminga (00) of Warriors during NBA Playoffs game 4 between Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on May 12, 2025 in San Francisco, California, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) As the NBA world awaits a conclusion to the Jonathan Kuminga saga, the Golden State Warriors are finding themselves in a pickle. While the organization seem to be open-minded towards a future that doesn't include the 22-year-old, they're also trying to remain competitive over the course of Stephen Curry's last years in the league. Kuminga, warts and all, offers a level of explosiveness no one else on the team can match, and his talents are significant. The big picture, contractually speaking While the two sides differ on money, the real calculation for Golden State these days is far more simple: Can they afford to lose a talent like Kuminga? As NBA free agency gets deeper and deeper into the summer, picking up the qualifying offer, worth $7.9 million, surely must become a real consideration for Kuminga and his team. The Warriors extended to Kuminga the qualifying offer in order to retain the right of first refusal, thus keeping him as a restricted free agent, and allowing the organization to match any offer sheet he might sign. With no offer sheet in sight, given that the market has dried out, the Warriors are playing hardball with Kuminga, trying to lock him into a contract that benefit their books long-term. Kuminga, however, can accept the one-year tender and become an unrestricted free agent in 2026, where he'd be able to leave the Warriors outright. This means no compensation coming back to Golden State, as accepting the qualifying offer also comes with a no-trade clause. The Warriors are, obviously, aware of this scenario, and are hoping their forward accepts a deal that provides long-term security. That said, the risk of potentially losing Kuminga for nothing, even if it's a year from now, is fairly great given that the Warriors aren't exactly loaded with assets to replace his production. The path forward As such, one solution could be for the Warriors to accept they'll be a little uncomfortable by upping their offer to an area that's closer to what Kuminga is seeking. That way, they'll have him under contract, meaning they can trade him later, and likely receive a positive return. That path isn't without its own set of issues, however. With the projections of the 2026 salary cap coming in lower than expected (7% increase compared to the otherwise expected 10%), some teams might be inclined to look at an expensive Kuminga contract with hesitation. Whereas, under the 10% increase, Kuminga's deal would look more and more team-friendly the longer it runs, a 7% cap increase doesn't lower Kuminga's cap percentage by nearly as much, thus making him - indirectly - more expensive. As such, the Warriors are likely concerned to sign the forward to a deal that will be viewed as an overpay, both for the present and the future, as that would make him difficult to trade. Of course, there's also the chance that Kuminga improves, and significantly so, in the coming years, which could make him a bargain, even if he's to receive what he's asking for, which allegedly is in the range of $25 million per year. As is evident, there is a lot of juggling back and forth, and many scenarios in play. But the Warriors must realize that the worst possible outcome is for Kuminga to walk, for nothing, in 11 months. Therefore, it's probably time to strike a deal, even if it makes them slightly uncomfortable. Unless noted otherwise, all stats via PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Two Genius Signings The Milwaukee Bucks Made This Offseason
Two Genius Signings The Milwaukee Bucks Made This Offseason

Forbes

timea day ago

  • Sport
  • Forbes

Two Genius Signings The Milwaukee Bucks Made This Offseason

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 01: Ryan Rollins #13 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts to a three point ... More shot during the second half of a game against the Phoenix Suns at Fiserv Forum on April 01, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) After being eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2025 Playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks faced their most important offseason in quite some time (arguably their most important in franchise history). And so far, while I haven't loved all their moves, they have managed to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo around for at least a little while longer, and they pulled off two massively underrated free agency signings. Re-Signing Ryan Rollins I've been telling anyone that will listen that Rollins is going to be a good role player in this league for the next decade. He's already a good defensive guard – ranking in the 68th percentile in Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus and the 89th percentile in steal rate (per Dunks & Threes). Rollins' swift agility, supreme positional length (6'10 wingspan), and cat-like reflexes make him useful as a point-of-attack stopper, a defensive playmaker in passing lanes, and a chaser against off-ball actions. On offense, his experience playing guard throughout his high school and collegiate career gives him some appeal as an attacker off the catch. Last season, he ranked in the 62nd percentile in true shooting on drives (per Given that he will spend most of his time off the ball on offense, shooting will be the determining factor for how far he goes as a consistent rotation player. Jump shooting was not a strength for Rollins in college (31.7% from three at Toledo), but last season he showed notable improvement in this area (hitting 46.4% of his mid-rangers and 40.8% of his threes on solid volume). It's hard to find complementary players who can be a positive force on both sides of the floor. Rollins has the makings of someone who can fill this void for Milwaukee. That is why his three-year, 12-million-dollar contract is such a valuable deal. According to my formula for estimating production value, Rollins will be worth 5.3 million dollars to the Bucks by just maintaining his output from last year (when he played just 56 games). If Rollins builds on last year's success (something I anticipate him doing), this will prove to be one of the best bang-for-your-buck moves of this offseason. Adding Cole Anthony On A Veteran's Minimum After being included in the Desmond Bane trade, Cole Anthony was bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies. Soon after, Anthony agreed to a one-year, 2.7-million-dollar contract with the Bucks. On the surface, this transaction seems like a desperate attempt by the Bucks to fill the playmaking void left by Damian Lillard. Besides, if Anthony is so good, why was he struggling to get playing time (18.4 MPG) on an Orlando Magic team that was desperate for any sort of offensive contribution (27th in offensive rating)? While both of these sentiments are valid, let's not forget that just two short years ago, Anthony was looking like one of the better sixth men in the association. When his shot is falling, Anthony is a strong pull-up shooter. In 2022-23, Anthony shot 49.4% on midrange jumpers (88th percentile) and 38.6% on pull-up threes (26th of the 131 players that attempted at least 50 such shots). He can also pass (63rd percentile in Passer Rating last season) and create open shots for others (77th percentile in Box Creation). His stout frame and pitbull-like mentality prevent him from being a negative on defense. And don't forget the pogo stick hops that landed him in the 2022 Slam Dunk Contest and the 96th percentile in block rate among point guards last season (per Cleaning the Glass). Overall, Anthony's DEF EPM graded in the 59th percentile in 2024-25. This allows the Bucks to profit off his offensive exploits without paying a massive tax on the defensive side of the ball. Neither Rollins nor Anthony is a sure bet to succeed next season. But as we learned last year – when the Bucks went 10-4 without Lillard – Antetokounmpo is at his best when surrounded by two-way players. At their best, Rollins and Anthony project as such. Moves like these may not turn Milwaukee into the contender Antetokounmpo yearns to play for, but they do make them a sneaky dangerous team in what appears to be a shallow Eastern Conference next season.

Former Minnesota Vikings star goes first overall in 2015 NFL re-draft
Former Minnesota Vikings star goes first overall in 2015 NFL re-draft

USA Today

time17-07-2025

  • Sport
  • USA Today

Former Minnesota Vikings star goes first overall in 2015 NFL re-draft

The 2015 NFL Draft was one of the best in Minnesota Vikings history. They drafted three future starters on defense and signed undrafted free agent Anthony Harris, who would start from 2018 to 2020. But none of those players matched the star power of fifth-round pick Stefon Diggs. Drafted 146th overall, Diggs led the Vikings in receiving yards as a rookie. He formed one of the league's best 1-2 receiving tandems with Adam Thielen. But Diggs solidified himself as an NFL star and Vikings legend when he caught a 61-yard touchdown pass from Case Keenum to beat the New Orleans Saints in the 2017-18 Divisional Playoffs. Diggs caught 365 passes for 4,623 yards and 30 touchdowns in Minnesota before getting traded to Buffalo after the 2019 season. Altogether, Diggs has caught 857 passes for 10,491 yards and 70 touchdowns in his 10-year career. Because of that, PFF believes he'd be the first overall pick in the 2015 draft if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could do it all over again. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston with the top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Winston's five-year run in Tampa was a rollercoaster, highlighted by his infamous 2019 season when he became the first quarterback in league history to throw for 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. Since then, he's bounced around the NFL and currently serves as a backup for the New York Giants. There wasn't an obvious choice at No. 1 in this redraft, but we're giving the Buccaneers wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who originally went in the fifth round to Minnesota. Diggs has made four Pro Bowls and ranks as the sixth-most valuable wide receiver in the league since 2015, according to PFF's wins above replacement metric. Pairing him with Mike Evans would have given Tampa Bay one of the NFL's most dominant receiver duos for the past decade. Evans and Diggs would have been an unstoppable receiver tandem. The Bucs still would have had to figure out the quarterback situation, but those are the kinds of issues the team with the first pick runs into. Diggs' time in Minnesota didn't last as long as fans would have liked, but he'll always hold a special place in Vikings history for his contributions to the 2017 team.

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