Jonathan Kuminga has taken one step outside the exit door for the Warriors as he reportedly demanded a move after becoming trade-eligible ahead of the upcoming February 5th deadline. The Warriors are set to face the Knicks tonight at the Chase Center.
Steve Kerr, the Warriors’ head coach, addressed the Kuminga situation with the media during the pregame press conference. He echoed his sentiments from a previous interview, but also detailed what he expects from the 23-year-old forward until the front office figures out what can be done.
“Our relationship is fine,” said Kerr, clearing the air on his personal relationship with Kuminga.
“There’s not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff. It is what it is, a difficult situation for everybody. But it’s a part of this league, a part of this job. So we just keep moving forward, but it’s a tough situation, and I don’t really have much to add.”
“None of your business. We talked this morning, and that’s all private,” Kerr further added when questioned about his conversations with Kuminga since the trade demand.
“I’ll keep coaching him. He’ll still be a part of the team; he’ll be here. It is what it is,” said Kerr on his expectations from Kuminga until his imminent exit.
The Warriors have 10 games, including tonight, before the trade deadline. Kerr remained confident that the situation with Kuminga would not be a distraction for him or the rest of the team.
“His teammates like him, he’s handling himself well, so there won’t be a distraction,” Kerr concluded.
Early on in the season, reports suggested that Steve Kerr and even the Warriors’ veterans were confident that Kuminga’s situation would not be a distraction for them.
Draymond Green addressed the possibility of Kuminga getting traded on a recent episode of his podcast ‘The Draymond Green Show.’ Even Green had nothing but praise for Kuminga, saying he will be a solid addition wherever he goes.
He narrated a story of the Warriors’ young forward bringing Brandin Podziemski “off a ledge” when he was getting anxious on the bench during a late-game situation against the Clippers. Green believes any team would be lucky to have a guy like Kuminga in their locker room.
At this point, it seems like both sides are trying to keep it professional and avoid the disclosure of the glory details of this feud that resulted in a trade demand from Jonathan Kuminga. Considering that there is a possibility he remains with the team beyond the trade deadline, they have to keep things cordial.
Early on in the season, it seemed like they were trying to rehabilitate the young Warriors forward back into the roster, and he came as far as becoming a regular starter.
But unfortunately, after his injury, something happened that caused him to fall out of the starting lineup and eventually out of the minutes rotation altogether.
Therefore, it will be interesting to see what both sides say once a move is finalized. Because at this moment, it seems to me like they are forcefully keeping things professional to yield the maximum value for Kuminga before the ugly details eventually come out.
