Jonathan Kuminga‘s situation with the Golden State Warriors seems to have reached the point of no return as the 23-year-old appears to have completely fallen out of the rotation. While Kuminga’s frustration has been noted, NBA legend Isiah Thomas shared an interesting reaction to the situation.
During a recent appearance on “Run It Back,” Isiah Thomas made a bold statement about how he would react if he were in Jonathan Kuminga’s place with the Warriors.
“It’s the most serious situation I’ve seen in a very long time, if ever, where we have a player that the NBA generally agrees is an above-average player, but he doesn’t play for a month,” Thomas stated.“Then they give him money on top of it. So yeah, it’s a very strange situation.”
“I give Kuminga a lot of credit for not blowing up. He must have some good vets around him and some good people in his family. Because I know if it was me, or any other NBA player, by now, we Latrell Sprewell; we choking the coach.”
Isiah Thomas drew a parallel to Latrell Sprewell‘s infamous incident, which involved the Warriors star choking head coach PJ Carlesimo during a practice in December 1997. Given that Sprewell’s frustrations grew from a pre-existing animosity with the coach, the Warriors star certainly escalated the matter.
Sprewell was initially suspended for a season, but this period was later reduced to 68 games. In comparison, Jonathan Kuminga’s response has been tame, as noted by the NBA legend.
What’s Next For Jonathan Kuminga?
Jonathan Kuminga has been out of the Warriors’ rotation since mid-December. In the 10 games that he has missed, the Golden State Warriors have posted a 7-3 record, showcasing how effective they can be even without the talented young forward.
Currently, returning to the lineup seems unlikely for Kuminga. In the time that he has been out, Moses Moody, Gui Santos, and De’Anthony Melton have carved out more meaningful roles for themselves in the rotation. Considering what Steve Kerr demands from players in his rotation, the 23-year-old very evidently doesn’t meet the brief.
So what’s next?
Considering that he is averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 43.1% this season, Kuminga is clearly not living up to his potential. Despite the pressure from the top brass to keep him, paying the forward $22.5 million annually to not participate in games seems unwise.
Realistically, a trade appears to be the only way forward. With several teams emerging as potential landing spots, both Kuminga and the Warriors could benefit from parting ways.
Although this could be promising, if recent reports are to be believed, Golden State’s inclination to retain him after the deadline may act as an obstacle. This would effectively lead to a stalemate, forcing Kuminga to ride the bench until the free agency window opens in the summer.
