Jonathan Kuminga has chosen a starting role beside Anthony Edwards over a larger payday, agreeing to a two-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports the agreement is worth US$12.4 million and includes a player option for its second season. NBA.com rounded the figure to US$13 million when announcing the reported deal.
The 23-year-old attracted interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers but selected Minnesota after Edwards became directly involved in recruiting him.
Kuminga is expected to start alongside Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on a Timberwolves team attempting to contend in the Western Conference.
Player Option Gives Kuminga Control
The second-year player option is the most important part of Kuminga’s contract.
It allows him to return to free agency after one season if he establishes himself as a starter and rebuilds his market value.
Kuminga reportedly entered the offseason seeking approximately US$20 million annually. That type of offer never materialised, leaving him to choose between accepting a longer contract below his preferred value or betting on himself through a short-term agreement.
Minnesota offered the clearest pathway to rebuilding that value.
If Kuminga plays well during the 2026–27 season, he can decline his option and pursue a much larger contract next offseason.
If the move fails or he suffers an injury, he can exercise the option and remain under contract for another year.
The arrangement gives Minnesota a potential bargain while preserving Kuminga’s control over his immediate future.
Edwards Helped Recruit Kuminga
Edwards was reportedly involved in convincing Kuminga to choose the Timberwolves.
That personal recruitment matters because the forward must accept a role built around Minnesota’s established stars rather than expecting the offence to be constructed for him.
Edwards remains the team’s clear franchise player, while Ball will control a significant amount of the playmaking after arriving from Charlotte in a blockbuster trade.
Kuminga will not receive unlimited possessions.
His opportunities should instead come through transition attacks, cuts, offensive rebounds and mismatches created by the attention paid to Edwards and Ball.
That may represent the best possible role for him.
Kuminga’s greatest strength is his athleticism. He is dangerous when attacking an open lane, finishing above the rim or overpowering smaller defenders.
His problems have emerged when he has been asked to create consistently in a congested half-court offence.
Ball’s passing and Edwards’ scoring gravity should generate easier opportunities than Kuminga received during his unsettled periods with Golden State and Atlanta.
Minnesota Lands Its Missing Power Forward
The Timberwolves entered free agency without an obvious starting power forward after trading Julius Randle and including Naz Reid in the deal that brought Ball and Josh Green from Charlotte.
That left McDaniels at risk of being moved away from his strongest defensive position or forced Minnesota to use a smaller three-guard lineup.
Kuminga solves that structural problem.
The projected starting five now features:
- LaMelo Ball
- Anthony Edwards
- Jaden McDaniels
- Jonathan Kuminga
- Rudy Gobert
It is one of the longest and most athletic starting groups in the NBA.
Ball and Kuminga are both approximately 6-foot-7, Edwards is 6-foot-5, McDaniels is 6-foot-10 and Gobert remains an elite interior defender at 7-foot-1.
Minnesota can use McDaniels against the opposition’s most dangerous perimeter scorer while allowing Kuminga to defend forwards and attack in transition.
Gobert provides protection behind them if either player is beaten.
Shooting Remains the Major Concern
The lineup possesses enormous defensive potential, but its spacing is far from perfect.
Gobert does not operate outside the paint, while Kuminga has made only 33.2 per cent of his career three-point attempts.
McDaniels is a capable shooter without consistently forcing defences to treat him as a major perimeter threat.
That could leave Edwards and Ball attempting to create through a crowded interior.
Opponents will likely help away from Kuminga until he proves he can punish them from outside. If he cannot, Minnesota may find it difficult to keep him on the floor during important playoff possessions.
Kuminga does not need to become an elite shooter.
Reaching league-average efficiency while making quick decisions would be enough to prevent defenders from completely abandoning him.
His off-ball movement will be just as important. Cutting decisively when Ball or Edwards attracts multiple defenders can transform the spacing weakness into an advantage.
Kuminga’s Market Collapsed From US$20 Million
The modest contract represents a dramatic fall from Kuminga’s original expectations.
Atlanta declined its US$24.3 million option after acquiring him from Golden State during the season.
Kuminga averaged 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds across his time with the Warriors and Hawks in 2025–26. He produced 12.2 points per game in 16 regular-season appearances for Atlanta.
Those numbers were not strong enough to generate the long-term offer his representatives wanted.
The Sporting Base previously examined how the Lakers could capitalise after Kuminga’s US$20 million expectations collapsed.
Los Angeles appeared capable of offering more money than Minnesota and could provide a significant role alongside Luka Dončić.
Kuminga ultimately chose the clearer starting position and shorter commitment.
That decision suggests rebuilding his market value was more important than maximising his immediate salary.
Warriors Development Never Fully Worked
Golden State selected Kuminga with the seventh pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and spent five seasons attempting to convert his physical ability into consistent production.
There were extended flashes of genuine star potential.
Kuminga could overwhelm defenders in transition, attack the basket and switch across several positions when fully engaged.
However, his role repeatedly changed.
Steve Kerr sometimes removed him from the rotation because of defensive mistakes, inconsistent effort or decisions that disrupted Golden State’s motion offence.
Kuminga wanted greater freedom and a larger offensive responsibility, while the Warriors needed dependable execution around an ageing championship core.
Neither side found a lasting compromise.
He signed a two-year agreement to remain with Golden State before being traded to Atlanta during the 2025–26 season. The Hawks then declined his option, sending him into an unrestricted market containing very little available spending power.
Minnesota now becomes his third team in less than a year.
Timberwolves Have Created a High-Risk Contender
The Kuminga signing completes one of the NBA’s most fascinating roster transformations.
Minnesota has added Ball and Kuminga while moving on from Reid and Randle, creating a younger and more athletic team around Edwards.
The upside is considerable.
Ball gives the Timberwolves the elite passer they previously lacked. Kuminga adds speed, size and rim pressure. McDaniels and Gobert preserve the defensive identity that made Minnesota dangerous.
The risks are equally obvious.
Ball’s availability has been a recurring concern throughout his career. Kuminga remains an inconsistent shooter and defender. Gobert’s offensive limitations can become more pronounced during the playoffs.
Minnesota has also concentrated considerable responsibility in a starting group that still needs to prove its pieces fit together.
However, the financial risk attached to Kuminga is minimal.
Approximately US$6.2 million per season is an extremely manageable price for a 23-year-old former top-seven pick who is expected to start.
If he disappoints, the contract will not cripple the Timberwolves.
If he finally converts his physical gifts into consistent production, Minnesota may have secured one of the offseason’s greatest bargains.
Kuminga Chose Opportunity Over Money
The Wolves have not paid Kuminga like a star.
They have given him the opportunity to prove he should become one.
He will start for a Western Conference contender, play beside two elite offensive creators and retain the ability to return to free agency after one season.
That explains why Minnesota defeated teams capable of offering a larger immediate salary.
The decision now transfers the pressure to Kuminga.
He spent years demanding a consistent role in Golden State and entered free agency seeking approximately US$20 million annually.
Minnesota has provided the role.
What happens next will determine whether the missing ingredient was opportunity—or whether NBA teams were correct to question his value.
