Jonathan Kuminga has now reportedly taken one step closer to the exit door for the Warriors. His future has been put in question recently after Steve Kerr decided not to play him despite him being healthy in their most recent win against the Bulls.
During the Warriors’ recent press conference, Kerr addressed the impact of the business side of the franchise on their plans. He also spoke about the plight of Kuminga and empathized with him amid the recent rumors.
“I think it’s not impacting anything for us. You’ll have to ask him about his feelings. I can imagine it’s not easy for him. We’ve talked about the situation.”
“My desire is for JK to be the best player he can be, regardless of where he ends up, here or elsewhere. I tell my guys a lot, there are very few players who end up playing for one team their entire career. That rarely happens. I played for six different teams.”
“None of us know what’s going to happen with JK, or none of the guys, for that matter. Although I would advise Mike not to trade Steph,” said Kerr while trying to break the ice.
“I’ve talked to Moses about it, I’ve talked to JK about it, and most of my guys. It’s a really weird league, a weird business to be in, where you have to fully commit to a team knowing well that they might trade you or cut you.”
“And that’s a really hard thing to reconcile as a player, but the sooner the guys can recognize it, the better. Especially if you’ve never been traded, that first one is weird and difficult, I can speak from experience.”
Kerr then moved on to discuss the daily updates on Kuminga, where he also showcased some empathy towards the 23-year-old.
“He had a great practice today. We talked before practice. He did the things I asked him to do, and I was thrilled about that. I think there are a lot of young players in the league, not just JK, who have to find themselves and figure out who they are as players. I do think that’s an important experience for JK.”
“I keep coaching him, and as he said, we have a good relationship. The combination and fit, all of that has been going on for a few years, and I’m not going to shy away from that; it’s pretty obvious. I do feel for him that he has been sort of at the whim of my decision-making based on what I want to see from our team,” concluded the Warriors’ head coach.
Kerr seemingly tried his best to include Kuminga in the plans for the team, giving him multiple chances as a starter where he flourished initially. But unfortunately, just like last season, he got injured between a good run, and eventually his replacements earned their spot in the minutes rotation over him.
When Kuminga was a starter at the beginning of the season, he averaged 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting 45.5% from the field in the first 13 games of the season.
He then eventually lost the starter role and averaged 7.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while making only 30.0% of his shots from the field in the last four games he played.
According to Warriors insider Brett Siegel, Kuminga’s time in Golden State is coming to an end, and his exit from the Warriors is more a question of when than if at this point. He also added that the Kings are definitely interested in adding Kuminga to their roster, but do not have anyone except Keon Ellis who garners interest from the Warriors.
Even Marc J. Spears of ESPN believes that Kuminga wants out of the Warriors and is only being professional due to his contract with the team. As per rumors, several executives believe Kuminga to be one of the best trade assets in the league, especially considering that the second year in Kuminga’s extension (2026-27) is a team option for $24.3 million.
It will be interesting to see what Kuminga says about his relationship with Steve Kerr and the Warriors after he eventually gets traded from the franchise post the January 15 trade eligibility date.
