The Milwaukee Bucks were quietly among the teams to show interest in Jonathan Kuminga earlier in the summer, per Clutch Points' Brett Siegel. That was months ago, and there hasn't been any recent chatter as the forward remains a free agent. Yet, it remains incredibly likely that Kuminga won't end up in green, instead opting to stay with Golden State on a qualifying offer next season.
Bucks won't be the team to get rising forward
The stalemate between Kuminga and the Warriors boils down to money and length on his next deal. Neither side can come to terms with the other. With little to no traction on a new contract, ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Kuminga is warming up to the idea of playing out next season on a one-year qualifying offer worth $8 million, where he would return to the Warriors.
Unless something miraculous happens - where one side caves to the other's demands - that feels like the inevitable end result of this long, drawn-out saga. Obviously, that would take Kuminga off the board for several rumored interested parties, such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns.
Pulling off a sign-and-trade for Kuminga would have been a bold move for Milwaukee. As they showed with the Myles Turner deal, they aren't afraid to take major swings, but Kuminga wouldn't have been as seamless a fit. His lack of a jumper and desire for a prominent role could have seen him butt heads with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the offensive end.
Yet, at 22 years old, Kuminga would fit in seamlessly with Milwaukee's ongoing focus on building the roster around Giannis with youth. He'd be a nice building block, but the fit questions would persist. If he shows growth with the jump shot, perhaps the Milwaukee Bucks could circle back to their interest in the forward and make an offer then, especially if he's making just the $8 million qualifying offer.
Siegel reports that Kuminga to Milwaukee didn't gain much initial reaction because the Warriors were insisting on getting Bobby Portis. One could argue how wise it was for Milwaukee to reportedly turn that down, but it's clear how the Bucks feel about their sixth man.
Only time will tell if Milwaukee's interest in Kuminga was just them doing due diligence or if something is legitimately still brewing behind the scenes.
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