On June 30, teams can officially begin negotiating with free agents. New contracts cannot be signed until June 6. Ahead of the 2025-26 season, front offices are eager to make upgrades to the roster.
After a 37-45 finish in 2024-25, the Heat battled in the play-in tournament to earn the 8th seed in the playoffs. They were swept in four games by the Cavaliers. Miami traded away Jimmy Butler at the 2024-25 deadline, and the team suffered. During the 2025 NBA draft, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Miami has interest in a restricted free agent. Jonathan Kuminga is a player the Heat had interest in at the deadline. Can they pull off a trade to acquire Kuminga this offseason?
Where will Jonathan Kuminga play in 2025-26?
Reporting on the NBA Draft surrounding a potential free agent target for the Miami Heat: pic.twitter.com/qVsK1DpGO5
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2025
Multiple NBA insiders, including ESPN’s Shams Charania and The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, reported Miami’s interest in Jonathan Kuminga. Slater went so far as to say that the Heat have “legitimate interest” in the former top 10 pick. The Heat are desperate to add talent to their roster, and Kuminga is someone they’ll monitor when free agency begins. He just finished his fourth season with Golden State and is a restricted free agent this offseason.
Golden State has leverage in this situation because it could offer Jonathan Kuminga an offer sheet. The former seventh overall pick in 2021 played in 47 games last season and made 10 starts. He missed 31 consecutive games last season due to an ankle injury that required minor surgery. It’s been an up-and-down rollercoaster for Kuminga in Golden State. At times, he’s looked like a player who could be the next generation of talent for the Warriors.
The young PF’s playing time has been all over the place in four seasons with the Warriors. That’s due to a rocky relationship with head coach Steve Kerr. It’s well documented that Kerr and Kuminga have had their share of differences. Jonathan Kuminga has said publicly that he wants to be a player the Warriors can rely on. That cannot happen when he’s coming off the bench and playing scattered minutes.
Miami was active in the trade market and wanted to land Kevin Durant. Instead, he was traded to the Houston Rockets. Anthony Slater reports that the Heat have since shifted their focus to Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga. Will Miami and Golden State make a second trade in the last four to five months?
