Lakers' Quentin Grimes signing shows how Jonathan Kuminga went wrong with Warriors

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Quentin Grimes and Jonathan Kuminga were in the same boat last offseason.

Both were restricted free agents who couldn't land an outside offer sheet. They had to return to the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors, respectively, both on deals they likely felt weren't up to their full market value.

In the 2025-26 NBA season, they went in opposite directions.

Grimes was a key asset for the 76ers.

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Kuminga continued to struggle with consistency in Golden State, then was traded midseason to the Atlanta Hawks.

Grimes' deal in Philly had been for one year, so he entered unrestricted free agency. Kuminga actually had a team option on his contract, but the Hawks declined it, so he too hit the open market.

The Los Angeles Lakers have already signed Grimes to a four-year, $60 million deal.

It seems unlikely Kuminga will get anything close to that.

And going forward, it's a fascinating example of the way the RFA process can work. It's not as favorable to players as it used to be. Teams aren't really dishing out offer sheets anymore.

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But in Grimes' case, he used it to bet on himself. He took a one-year deal, and now after a solid season, he's got a big contract with the Lakers.

Kuminga, on the other hand, couldn't make things work with the Warriors, even after a long and dragged out offseason. Now, he's waiting for his next opportunity.

Grimes may have been less touted than Kuminga at one point, but now he's the one who won in a negotiating situation that, a year ago at this time, was very similar.