Sports
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.
Sports
England opt to bat first against Australia in Ashes opener
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
Sports
No. 9 Terrapins come flying out of the gate to dismantle Bethune-Cookman
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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Sports
AD Rhoades exits Baylor, week after taking leave
Baylor on Thursday announced the departure of athletic director Mack Rhoades, effective immediately.
Rhoades, who had been the AD at Baylor since July 2016, suddenly took a leave of absence from the position for personal reasons last week. He told ESPN’s Heather Dinich at the time that he initiated the leave.
“I find myself in a season of life where I need to prioritize my faith and my family with an intentional focus that requires me to move on from my role as caretaker of this great athletics program,” Rhoades said in a statement on Thursday night.
Along with stepping away from Baylor, Rhoades also left his role as chair of the College Football Playoff selection committee.
In a letter to the university announcing the move, Baylor president Linda Livingstone did not give a reason for his departure.
“Since joining Baylor in 2016, Mack has led our athletics program through a period of remarkable rebuilding and achievement,” Livingstone said. “During his tenure, Baylor claimed numerous Big 12 championships, made countless postseason appearances and earned national titles in several sports, including historic wins that will forever be etched in our collective memory. These victories were not just about athletic excellence — they were moments that brought the Baylor Family together, united in joy and spirit.”
Livingstone also commended Rhoades’ influence “beyond the scoreboard,” adding: “Within the Big 12 Conference and across the country, he is widely recognized as a defender of the important role athletics plays on college and university campuses.”
Rhoades is a veteran in the athletic director space, with prior stops as the AD at Missouri, Houston and Akron. His tenure includes the hiring of Matt Rhule and eight national titles, including one for Scott Drew’s men’s basketball program.
The ability to retain Drew and build the proper infrastructure and support around him has been a hallmark of Rhoades’ tenure.
“The incredible community that is the Baylor family is the absolute best of the best,” Rhoades said in his statement. “Together, we won national championships, established records in academics and fundraising, and built world-class facilities. I will forever cherish the memories and friendships I made as a Baylor Bear.”
Rhoades’ tenure included stabilizing the athletic department on the field after the tumultuous and litigious tenure of former football coach Art Briles. The hiring of Rhule pulled the program out of the depths, and current coach Dave Aranda went on to win the Big 12 title in 2021 and beat Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl that year.
Rhoades’ predecessors as athletic director, Ian McCaw and Tom Stanton, left amid issues surrounding Briles and former basketball coach Dave Bliss, respectively.
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