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Kuminga, Warriors end stalemate with 2-year deal

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Kuminga, Warriors end stalemate with 2-year deal


Ending a summerlong stalemate, restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million deal to return to the Golden State Warriors, agent Aaron Turner of Verus Basketball told ESPN on Tuesday.

The deal includes a team option in the second year that is designed for the Warriors — or another team if and when Kuminga is traded during the upcoming season — to rip up and complete a fresh new contract after the 2025-26 campaign, sources said.

Also Tuesday, the Warriors agreed to a one-year deal with free agent Seth Curry, sources told ESPN, teaming Stephen Curry with his younger brother as training camp begins Wednesday. However, the Warriors cannot enter the season with 15 standard players on the roster unless they make a trade, but Seth Curry is expected to be on the roster for the majority of the campaign.

Ahead of Wednesday’s qualifying offer deadline, Kuminga chose the two-year deal over a proposal of three years and $75 million so he can maintain a higher level of control over his immediate Warriors future. The Warriors never wavered on their team option frameworks during negotiations. Now, both sides understand the likelihood of exploring trades when Kuminga is eligible to be moved in mid-January. As part of the deal, he is waiving his inherent no-trade clause.

Kuminga missed media day Monday and the first day of Warriors practice Tuesday as the sides finalized the deal.

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Kuminga’s side have been locked in a stalemate throughout the offseason over the framework of the contract, but Golden State ultimately increased its two-year offer by a total of $8 million between July and September and guaranteed Kuminga approximately $15 million more than his one-year, $8 million qualifying offer would have for this season.

Over the past two months, the Warriors have had a standing offer of two years and $45 million with a team option, and earlier this month offered a three-year, $75 million contract with a team option and a three-year, $54 million fully guaranteed deal. Kuminga and his side wanted a player option throughout the negotiations, or a higher annual salary with a team option, requests that were denied by the Warriors.

Choosing the two-year structure allows Kuminga to create a decision for whichever team he is on next summer or get to 2027 unrestricted free agency.

The Warriors made a jump to $48.5 million total over two years in the latest and last round of these drawn-out negotiations. Kuminga’s deal becomes the fourth-highest salary on the Warriors’ books next season behind Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green, escalating the team’s luxury tax penalty by $70 million to a total of over $80 million.

By signing Kuminga to a salary of $22.5 million next season, Golden State will still have the flexibility to use its $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception and sign two players to the veteran’s minimum. Gary Payton II signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract with the Warriors on Monday, and Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and rookie Will Richard have agreed to deals, too.

The Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings were the strongest suitors for Kuminga in trade talks, with the largest sign-and-trade offer coming via the Suns as a four-year, nearly $90 million deal with a player option, sources said. The Warriors never showed interest in either team’s trade proposal, however, declining concepts of Royce O’Neale and second-round picks from the Suns and Malik Monk and a protected first-round pick from the Kings.

Kuminga was largely out of the rotation in the Warriors’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets, playing just 50 minutes total across seven games, including four that he sat out due to coach’s decision. He averaged six points on 30.4% shooting against Houston. However, Kuminga shined in the Warriors’ Western Conference semifinals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with Curry sidelined. He averaged 20.8 points on 54.3% shooting against the Timberwolves, including three straight games scoring over 20 points to end the series.

Kuminga has led the Warriors in paint points per game in each of the past two seasons as he averaged 10 points in the paint in 2023-24 and 8.5 last season, per ESPN Research — a major boost for a team that was fifth worst in paint points last season. Among players from the 2021 draft class, Kuminga ranks fifth in points per 36 minutes (minimum 150 games).

Kuminga is also one of eight players with 3,000 points and 1,000 rebounds from the 2021 draft class, and he is one of five players to score 3,000 points before turning 23 in Warriors history.

Kuminga has shown an ability to raise his performance when the Warriors are missing a key cog, increasing his scoring average from 14.1 points in games Curry played to 19.6 points in 10 games without Curry, which was second on the team in this situation behind only 20 points per night from Butler, who played just three contests without Curry. Kuminga also increased his shooting percentage from 44.5% with Curry to 48.2% without him.

Kuminga becomes the third restricted free agent to find a resolution in September, after Cam Thomas signed a one-year, $6 million qualifying offer to return to the Brooklyn Nets and Josh Giddey reached a four-year, $100 million deal to stay with the Chicago Bulls. Philadelphia‘s Quentin Grimes remains the final outstanding restricted free agent.

Entering free agency this summer, only a few teams had salary cap space, which created a freeze for the restricted market. The Nets have operated as the only team with real salary cap space for the majority of the offseason.



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Texans upset Bills to shake up AFC playoff picture

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Texans upset Bills to shake up AFC playoff picture


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The Buffalo Bills were upset by the Houston Texans on Thursday night, 23-19.

The game came down to a game-deciding Bills drive in the final two minutes. The Bills extended the drive by converting on a 4th and 27 with a lateral pass to Khalil Shakir. But the Bills could not convert on a 4th and 6 in the Texans red zone, when Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen threw a game-ending interception.

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws a pass under pressure from Houston Texans defensive tackle Tommy Togiai (72) in the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Houston.  (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

The Texans have now beaten the Bills for the second year in a row, and pulled it off with backup quarterback Davis Mills under center. Mills has improved to 3-0 as the team’s quarterback this year in place of the injured CJ Stroud.

Mills had one of his better games as a pro Thursday, passing for 153 yards with two touchdowns.

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Meanwhile, the Texans’ defense had eight sacks on Allen, and even forced him out of the game temporarily with a wrist concern in the first half.

With the win, the Texans move to 6-5 on the season and remain in the hunt for the AFC wild card race. The Texans are now just half a game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars for the final wild card spot. 

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Will Anderson Jr. celebrates a sack

Houston Texans’ Will Anderson Jr. (51) and Denico Autry (96) celebrate after Anderson sacked Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, in Houston.  (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

The Bills fell to 7-4 and lost ground to the New England Patriots in the AFC East race.

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England opt to bat first against Australia in Ashes opener

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England opt to bat first against Australia in Ashes opener


England captain Ben Stokes shakes hands with Australia captain Steve Smith during the coin toss before the start of play on November 21, 2025 at the Perth Stadium, Perth, Australia. — Reuters 

PERTH: England elected to bat first against Australia in the Ashes series opener on Friday after captain Ben Stokes won the toss under clear blue skies at Perth Stadium.

After naming a 12-man squad for the match, the visitors opted for all-out pace in the starting side, leaving out off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in favour of Brydon Carse.

“We’ll try and get some runs on the board and then see where we are then,” Stokes said. “We’ve got to clear all of what we want to achieve out here in Australia, it starts today.”

Australia’s Steve Smith, standing in as captain for the injured Pat Cummins, struck an optimistic tone after losing the toss.

“Hopefully it seams all over the place this morning. I think the cracks will come into play, they seem to every year,” said Smith. “I think if we get the ball in the right areas this morning, there’ll be enough there for sure.”

Australia awarded first test caps to specialist opener Jake Weatherald and fast bowler Brendan Doggett, who put his hand up for selection with 13 wickets in two matches for South Australia in a dynamic start to the domestic Sheffield Shield season.

“He sort of glides through the crease, makes it look pretty easy,” pace spearhead Mitchell Starc said of Doggett.

“So, yeah, he’s got some air speed, he’s got some great skills, some swing, some seam and he’s coming off a hot streak, so hopefully that continues this week.”

Australia: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood





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No. 9 Terrapins come flying out of the gate to dismantle Bethune-Cookman

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Maryland scores the game’s first 20 points and never looks back on its way to a season-high in scoring in a rout of Bethune-Cookman.



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