Reports about Jonathan Kuminga and his future with the Warriors are flying in every direction, with drama on both sides and no end in sight. Welcome to The Kuminga Show! 📺

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Alperen Şengün, Brad Wanamaker, and Shakira Austin! 🎉

Around the Association

Suns, Kings make concrete sign-and-trade offers for Jonathan Kuminga

Shams reported yesterday that restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga is in “absolutely no rush” to accept any of the Warriors’ long-term contract offers, opening the door for another team to swoop in with a sign-and-trade deal.

According to multiple reports, Phoenix and Sacramento have made recent concrete attempts to acquire the 2021 No. 7 overall pick. The Suns are dangling names like Grayson Allen, but Golden State reportedly isn’t interested in a deal for Kuminga unless the return includes real long-term value—draft compensation or a young prospect.

Double Zero is staying patient for now. Warriors fans are feeling a little restless.

Lonnie Walker IV, Shake Milton among players with NBA experience headed to Europe

We love seeing former NBA guys take a chance across the pond! Basketball is an international sport, and if you’re ever feeling bored with American hoops, we won’t tell anyone if you tune into a heated Panathinaikos-Olympiacos rivalry game. ⚔️

Former Spurs and Lakers guard Lonnie Walker IV is signing a three-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv, one of the EuroLeague’s top clubs, after spending the final 20 games of last season in Philadelphia. Speaking of the 76ers, Shake Milton, who spent five seasons in Philly and made some 6MOY ballots there in 2021, is also taking a trip across the Atlantic as he heads to Serbian powerhouse Partizan Belgrade.

American EuroLeague stars like Nigel Hayes-Davis and Kendrick Nunn have paved the way for guys in their mid-20s like Walker and Milton, who are taking this chance to reset their careers and potentially work their way back to the league. Otherwise, they’ll just dominate a different one. 💪

Free Agency Quick Hits:

• Josh Okogie → Houston (1yr)

• Jared Butler → Phoenix (1yr)

• Lindy Waters III → San Antonio (1yr)

• Blake Wesley → Portland (1yr)

• Colby Jones → Detroit (two-way)

• Antonio Reeves → Charlotte (two-way)

• David Jones-Garcia → San Antonio (two-way)

Top Five Friday

It’s too late for Summer League and too early for the preseason, making it the perfect time to just sit back, relax, and fantasize about what might happen this upcoming season.

And with Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander expected to return as MVP favorites, there are some interesting names down the list that could end up as long-shot contenders later this year.

Here are five dark-horse candidates that could sneak into the 2025-26 NBA MVP conversation: ⬇️

1. Anthony Edwards (MIN): After leading his team to two back-to-back Conference Finals appearances, it could be Ant-Man’s time to shine. He’ll be 24 next season, and you might think he’s too young or that Minnesota’s squad won’t be good enough to qualify him for the race. But remember: the Bucks were only three games above .500 the year before a certain large Greek man brought them to a 60-22 record and won his first MVP… at 24 years old. 😳

2. Donovan Mitchell (CLE): After signing a huge extension last summer, something tells us that D-Mitch wants more than a second-round exit in Cleveland. He finished fifth in MVP voting last year after averaging 24 PTS per game for the 64-win Cavs, so if Cleveland can turn in another conference-topping regular season under Kenny Atkinson, Mitchell is the guy with the right combination of statistical output and narrative redemption to crack a few MVP ballots. ✍️

3. Cade Cunningham (DET): Maybe this is a year too early. Or maybe it’s exactly the right time! Detroit’s lead guard averaged over 26 PTS and 9 AST last season in 70 games for a Pistons squad that still overachieved without Jaden Ivey in the second half. Cunningham’s usage and role as the engine of pretty much everything in Detroit might be enough to draw some real MVP attention to the Motor City for the first time since 2006. 🛞

4. Anthony Davis (DAL): The 10-time All-Star was central to multiple league-wide storylines last season, and although he only suited up for 51 games, Davis averaged 24.7 PTS, 12.6 REB, and 2.3 BLK per game in 2024-25. Winning an MVP in your first season with a new team would already be an impressive feat, but for AD at this stage of his career? We’d be floored. He did play 76 games during his electric 2023-24 campaign, which was just two years ago. Just sayin’. 🤔

5. Jaylen Brown (BOS): Could the 2023-24 Finals MVP be in the hunt for something bigger? There’s no Jayson Tatum in Boston this year, and other major pieces from the C’s championship run like Kristaps Porzingis are gone as well. That means more opportunity for Brown, but also considerably less help. We’re not saying JB is currently an MVP-caliber player right now, or that the Celtics should pivot to prioritize him over Tatum. We’re just telling you to keep your eyes open. 👀

Three in the Key

Signing Off

It’s Friday. For us, that means it’s time to get outside and shoot hoops all weekend. Hopefully you’ve got big outdoor plans too—a simple walk is better than nothing!

Austin Zeglis