The stalemate between the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga continues, with the restricted free agent forward reportedly eager for a fresh start with the Kings — but Golden State brass is uninterested in the compensation Sacramento has offered for a player the Warriors clearly believe still has value … even if it’s not to them.

ESPN reported last week Kuminga and his representatives had declined Golden State’s offers of a two-year, $45 million contract, due largely the Warriors structuring the deal with a team option for Year 2 and insisting — as Marc Stein has detailed — Kuminga waive the de facto no-trade clause he would receive as a player signing for one guaranteed season with a team that holds his Bird rights. That framework would grant the Warriors a significant amount of ongoing control over Kuminga’s future; the 22-year-old does not want to grant Golden State that kind of control, given the frustrations he has communicated over what he sees as years of inconsistent opportunities and stunted growth under head coach Steve Kerr.

At this point, Kuminga wants a clean slate and a new role elsewhere. Like, for example, a couple of hours north at Golden 1 Center, where the Kings would love to slot the 6-foot-8 forward into their starting lineup, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape:

The Kings are ready to pay Kuminga like a starter, too, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic — but the Warriors remain unmoved by the players-and-picks package Sacramento has offered to get Kuminga in-house:

As for the Kings, who last spoke with the Warriors earlier this week, team sources say they’ve offered a three-year, $63 million deal for Kuminga in a proposal that would send veteran guard Malik Monk and their 2030 first-round pick (lottery protected) to the Warriors (that deal would require the Warriors to move more salary elsewhere to stay under the first apron, likely Moses Moody or Buddy Hield). If that pick didn’t convey, then the Warriors would get the least favorable of the Kings’ or San Antonio’s first-round pick in 2031. Those protections have been the primary sticking point, team sources said, as the Warriors have insisted that the first-rounder be unprotected. Thus, the stalemate.

Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard also reports Golden State wouldn’t be interested in folding Hield (who made more 3-pointers last season than any Warrior save Stephen Curry) or Moody (who made a career-high 34 starts and played a key two-way role after the Warriors’ season-saving trade for Jimmy Butler) into a potential Kuminga deal. And if the Warriors aren’t getting the kind of picks they want … or the kind of young players they want … or the kind of contract structure they want … then, well, the nature of restricted free agency means they don’t have to do something they don’t want.

More from Kawakami:

The word I got when I checked in with a Warriors source on Sunday: Kuminga won’t be traded this summer. He’ll be back on the Warriors’ roster to start the season. And it’ll either come when he signs the Warriors’ offer or accepts the $7.9 million one-year qualifying offer.

Now, of course, we all can read some or most of this as Warriors positioning in lieu of making a final push for a more favorable sign-and-trade agreement. The Warriors have definitely had some discussions with other teams about Kuminga. And once you start having discussions, you can always finish one of them, no matter what your public stance happens to be at the time.

But several sources have indicated that the Warriors have been unenthusiastic about the general idea of a Kuminga sign-and-trade from the outset. The broad context is that [Warriors owner] Joe Lacob remains a fan of Kuminga’s and is determined to either keep the 22-year-old on the roster or get real value in return. And he’s willing to wait it out.

The Warriors’ willingness to wait means Kuminga has to play the waiting game, too … and, as a result, play fewer actual games. Stein reports Kuminga’s not expected to play for his native Congo in this summer’s FIBA AfroBasket tournament, slated to tip off Aug. 12, as he looks to mitigate injury risk with his contract status still up in the air.

We know, then, we won’t see Kuminga on the floor before NBA teams reconvene for training camp this fall. Which camp he’ll be reporting to, what kind of deal he’ll be playing on, and how he feels about it all, though, very much remain to be determined.

The stalemate between the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga continues, with the restricted free agent forward reportedly eager for a fresh start with the Kings — but Golden State brass is uninterested in the compensation Sacramento has offered for a player the Warriors clearly believe still has value … even if it’s not to them.

ESPN reported last week Kuminga and his representatives had declined Golden State’s offers of a two-year, $45 million contract, due largely the Warriors structuring the deal with a team option for Year 2 and insisting — as Marc Stein has detailed — Kuminga waive the de facto no-trade clause he would receive as a player signing for one guaranteed season with a team that holds his Bird rights. That framework would grant the Warriors a significant amount of ongoing control over Kuminga’s future; the 22-year-old does not want to grant Golden State that kind of control, given the frustrations he has communicated over what he sees as years of inconsistent opportunities and stunted growth under head coach Steve Kerr.

At this point, Kuminga wants a clean slate and a new role elsewhere. Like, for example, a couple of hours north at Golden 1 Center, where the Kings would love to slot the 6-foot-8 forward into their starting lineup, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape:

The Kings are ready to pay Kuminga like a starter, too, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic — but the Warriors remain unmoved by the players-and-picks package Sacramento has offered to get Kuminga in-house:

As for the Kings, who last spoke with the Warriors earlier this week, team sources say they’ve offered a three-year, $63 million deal for Kuminga in a proposal that would send veteran guard Malik Monk and their 2030 first-round pick (lottery protected) to the Warriors (that deal would require the Warriors to move more salary elsewhere to stay under the first apron, likely Moses Moody or Buddy Hield). If that pick didn’t convey, then the Warriors would get the least favorable of the Kings’ or San Antonio’s first-round pick in 2031. Those protections have been the primary sticking point, team sources said, as the Warriors have insisted that the first-rounder be unprotected. Thus, the stalemate.

Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard also reports Golden State wouldn’t be interested in folding Hield (who made more 3-pointers last season than any Warrior save Stephen Curry) or Moody (who made a career-high 34 starts and played a key two-way role after the Warriors’ season-saving trade for Jimmy Butler) into a potential Kuminga deal. And if the Warriors aren’t getting the kind of picks they want … or the kind of young players they want … or the kind of contract structure they want … then, well, the nature of restricted free agency means they don’t have to do something they don’t want.

More from Kawakami:

The word I got when I checked in with a Warriors source on Sunday: Kuminga won’t be traded this summer. He’ll be back on the Warriors’ roster to start the season. And it’ll either come when he signs the Warriors’ offer or accepts the $7.9 million one-year qualifying offer.

Now, of course, we all can read some or most of this as Warriors positioning in lieu of making a final push for a more favorable sign-and-trade agreement. The Warriors have definitely had some discussions with other teams about Kuminga. And once you start having discussions, you can always finish one of them, no matter what your public stance happens to be at the time.

But several sources have indicated that the Warriors have been unenthusiastic about the general idea of a Kuminga sign-and-trade from the outset. The broad context is that [Warriors owner] Joe Lacob remains a fan of Kuminga’s and is determined to either keep the 22-year-old on the roster or get real value in return. And he’s willing to wait it out.

The Warriors’ willingness to wait means Kuminga has to play the waiting game, too … and, as a result, play fewer actual games. Stein reports Kuminga’s not expected to play for his native Congo in this summer’s FIBA AfroBasket tournament, slated to tip off Aug. 12, as he looks to mitigate injury risk with his contract status still up in the air.

We know, then, we won’t see Kuminga on the floor before NBA teams reconvene for training camp this fall. Which camp he’ll be reporting to, what kind of deal he’ll be playing on, and how he feels about it all, though, very much remain to be determined.

Another stint on the injured list seemed inevitable for Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley after he left Sunday’s MLB Speedway Classic with lower abdominal pain. That was confirmed Monday, with the team announcing that Riley is back on the IL due to a strained lower abdominal muscle. 

Riley suffered the injury during the first inning while stretching to tag out Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz at home plate. He stayed on his knees after the play, indicating that he hurt himself, and then left the game. 

The third baseman returned from the IL on July 25 after recovering from a lower abdominal strain, so it’s likely that he aggravated that injury while tagging out De La Cruz.

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Riley, who has played in 102 games this season, is batting .260/.309/.428 with 16 home runs, 20 doubles and 54 RBI in 447 plate appearances. In seven MLB seasons, he has a .270/.334/.492 slash line with 168 doubles, 169 homers and 483 RBI in 821 games.

To replace him on the active roster and at third base, the Braves called up Nacho Alvarez Jr. from Triple-A Gwinnett. In an earlier stint with Atlanta, Alvarez hit .200/.250/.233 in eight games.

Also Monday, Atlanta demoted outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A for the second time this season. Kelenic, 26, has spent most of this season in the minors, batting .218/.289/.321 with four home runs and 23 RBI with Gwinnett. With the Braves, he hit .161/.231/.300 in 65 plate appearances. 

At 47-63, the Braves are fourth in the NL East going into play Monday, 15.5 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies. Having lost seven of its past 10 games, Atlanta is 14 games out of the NL’s third wild-card berth.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks remains uncertain, as fans continue to wait for his decision regarding the upcoming season.

With all the movement going on around the NBA, ESPN’s Shams Charania appeared on First Take on Monday to give an update on the 30-year-old Bucks star’s status. While Antetokounmpo seems to be in no hurry to decide, the NBA insider claims that teams are on the prowl in case he becomes available on the trade market.

“There are multiple teams I know of that are literally waiting right now on what decision Giannis Antetokounmpo makes,” Charania said. “Waiting to see, does he actually hit the market? Training camps don’t start till mid-September.”

“There have been examples in the past. Kyrie Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics in August when he got moved. Damian Lillard was actually traded to Milwaukee in September. So there are deals that happen late in summer.”

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Milwaukee bested the Phoenix Suns to win just the second title in franchise history in 2021, but has struggled to follow up on the championship campaign. The Bucks fell to the Celtics in the second round in 2022. Since then, they have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past three years.

Rumors about the uncertainty of Antetokounmpo’s future in Cream City escalated this past season following the early elimination against Indiana. Additionally, the Bucks waived Lillard after two seasons while he deals with an Achilles tear that he suffered against the Pacers in late April. Since then, Lillard signed a three-year deal to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, where he played for the first 11 years of his career.

Charania noted that a big factor in Antetokounmpo remaining with the Bucks is the likelihood of winning a second title with the team.

“There is nothing set in stone about whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo stays in Milwaukee or whether he wants to leave elsewhere,” Charania shared. “He’s been evaluating his future this entire offseason. I reported way back in mid-May that he is open-minded about whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or in a trade. That process has been continuing. There’s been some conversations he’s having with his inner circle.

“The one big question that’s been surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, surrounding his camp, is can he win another championship? Is this Bucks roster built for this upcoming season, for him to win his second championship?”

With teams being linked to him, Antetokounmpo recently proclaimed his love for Milwaukee in an interview with internet personality iShowSpeed (real name Darren Watskin Jr.).

“A lot of people are trying to convince me to play there,” Antetokounmpo told Watkins when asked about moving teams. Watkins then asked if he plans to stay in Milwaukee, to which he replied, “Probably.”

“We’ll see, probably. I love Milwaukee,” he continued.

Antetokounmpo has been in Milwaukee since the Bucks selected him with the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Upon his arrival, the Bucks nurtured him to become a nine-time All-Star, two-time league MVP and franchise player. With suspense surrounding his time with the Bucks, Antetokounmpo remains on his three-year deal, which he signed in 2023.

His $186 million contract was meant to keep Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee through the duration of Lillard’s deal before his abrupt dismissal. The current deal includes a player option for the 2027-28 season, per Spotrac.

Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points and 11.9 rebounds per game this past season as the Bucks finished fifth in the East with a 48-34 record.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks remains uncertain, as fans continue to wait for his decision regarding the upcoming season.

With all the movement going on around the NBA, ESPN’s Shams Charania appeared on First Take on Monday to give an update on the 30-year-old Bucks star’s status. While Antetokounmpo seems to be in no hurry to decide, the NBA insider claims that teams are on the prowl in case he becomes available on the trade market.

“There are multiple teams I know of that are literally waiting right now on what decision Giannis Antetokounmpo makes,” Charania said. “Waiting to see, does he actually hit the market? Training camps don’t start till mid-September.”

“There have been examples in the past. Kyrie Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics in August when he got moved. Damian Lillard was actually traded to Milwaukee in September. So there are deals that happen late in summer.”

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Milwaukee bested the Phoenix Suns to win just the second title in franchise history in 2021, but has struggled to follow up on the championship campaign. The Bucks fell to the Celtics in the second round in 2022. Since then, they have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past three years.

Rumors about the uncertainty of Antetokounmpo’s future in Cream City escalated this past season following the early elimination against Indiana. Additionally, the Bucks waived Lillard after two seasons while he deals with an Achilles tear that he suffered against the Pacers in late April. Since then, Lillard signed a three-year deal to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, where he played for the first 11 years of his career.

Charania noted that a big factor in Antetokounmpo remaining with the Bucks is the likelihood of winning a second title with the team.

“There is nothing set in stone about whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo stays in Milwaukee or whether he wants to leave elsewhere,” Charania shared. “He’s been evaluating his future this entire offseason. I reported way back in mid-May that he is open-minded about whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or in a trade. That process has been continuing. There’s been some conversations he’s having with his inner circle.

“The one big question that’s been surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, surrounding his camp, is can he win another championship? Is this Bucks roster built for this upcoming season, for him to win his second championship?”

With teams being linked to him, Antetokounmpo recently proclaimed his love for Milwaukee in an interview with internet personality iShowSpeed (real name Darren Watskin Jr.).

“A lot of people are trying to convince me to play there,” Antetokounmpo told Watkins when asked about moving teams. Watkins then asked if he plans to stay in Milwaukee, to which he replied, “Probably.”

“We’ll see, probably. I love Milwaukee,” he continued.

Antetokounmpo has been in Milwaukee since the Bucks selected him with the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Upon his arrival, the Bucks nurtured him to become a nine-time All-Star, two-time league MVP and franchise player. With suspense surrounding his time with the Bucks, Antetokounmpo remains on his three-year deal, which he signed in 2023.

His $186 million contract was meant to keep Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee through the duration of Lillard’s deal before his abrupt dismissal. The current deal includes a player option for the 2027-28 season, per Spotrac.

Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points and 11.9 rebounds per game this past season as the Bucks finished fifth in the East with a 48-34 record.