Jonathan Kuminga wanted “well beyond” $30 million to sign a new extension with the Golden State Warriors ahead of Monday’s deadline, Monte Pool of NBC Sports Bay Area reported, but the team deemed his ask too lofty and now, the 22-year-old forward will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season.

That is, if he makes it to free agency and is not the subject of a trade before then.

Jake Fischer told B/R that there are rumblings that the Brooklyn Nets already have a trade sheet prepared for Kuminga and the Warriors (4:00).

The Nets, in the midst of an organizational rebuild, are smart to eye Kuminga.

The 0-2 squad has some pieces to be excited about, in Nic Claxton particularly, but the current roster is a mix and match collection of veterans and inexperienced players, none of which has proven particularly effective in dragging the team out of the doldrums in the Eastern Conference.

Kuminga is young, has shown sparks of a star player, and could use a change of scenery himself, amid a lack of the aforementioned extension, playing time, and the continued expectation that he proves he has earned a bigger, long-term deal.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr detailed the up-and-down history of Kuminga with the team before the start of the season, including when he had to sit him or remove him from the rotation completely.

He also spoke about his inexperience, telling Tim Kawakami of The TK Show podcast, “He’s still so young, if this were 20 years ago, 30 years ago, he would have just finished his fourth year of college or his rookie year in the NBA. When you throw all that stuff in, I love where JK is right now because he’s gotten so much better, but he still has room for growth which is the exciting part. So, I’ve talked to him about this upcoming year and what the expectations are. I’m excited about it, he’s excited about it, he loves it here, he’s told me that.”

Whether Kuminga loves the team or not does not make up for the fact that he still does not have an extension, something Kerr also spoke on.

“I think the hardest part for him is that he doesn’t have the extension yet and he’s seen some of the same guys from his draft class get extensions, but he understands the business. He still has some things to prove, and he’s committed to going out and doing them and I’m going to help him every step and I’m excited about it.”

Kuminga played his most minutes per game in 2023-24, averaging 26.3. He scored 16.1 points a game while shooting 57.8 percent from the paint and 32.1 percent from beyond the arc, a weakness that stands out among the Warrior’s otherwise trademark three-point shooting.

He added 4.8 total rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.7 steals in his strongest season to date.

Two games into the 2024-25 season, he is back below 20 minutes per game and averaged just six points per.

If the Warriors are not committed to letting him show what he can do with some expanded time on the floor, while continuing to cite Kuminga’s need to prove he worth the investment, perhaps it is best for the team to seek out a trade partner and get something in return for him before he becomes a free agent next off-season.

If the Nets are willing and able amid seeking their own foundational building blocks, it would be a mutually beneficial deal.

The Warriors no longer have to count on the potentially distracting Kuminga conversations and get something in return for him, while the young forward has a chance to star for a Nets team that does not have enough quality forward depth to keep him off the court.

Is it ideal given the Warriors’ questions about youthful depth behind stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green?

No, but it does pull off the proverbial Band-Aid and allow the organization to focus on maximizing the time it still has with its future Hall of Famers and potentially competing for a title rather than fielding questions and comments about when their young, potential star of the future will see the court and get paid.

Especially if Kerr and Co. are not sure that he is a fit for what they like and want to do.