Why Jonathan Kuminga appears poised to finish Warriors tenure on bench
SAN FRANCISCO – Jonathan Kuminga has been cast in many roles during his eventful Warriors career.
A 2021 lottery pick with limitless potential. A rookie who played spot playoff minutes for the 2022 champions. An inconsistent scorer who oscillated between starting and the bench for the better part of four years.
A restricted free agent seemingly on the verge of leaving this summer before agreeing to a two-year, $46 million deal.
A starter for the first 12 games of the season, briefly showing the all-around passing, defense and rebounding talent the team has long sought from him, before he regressed into old habits.
And now, with his trade restriction being able to be lifted Thursday, Kuminga has spent his assumed last days with the organization as a benchwarmer who is expected to be dealt to another franchise.
Kuminga has been a healthy scratch in 13 of the past 14 games, and will likely not see a second of playing time for the 11th consecutive game when the Warriors play the Kings on Friday night.
Coach Steve Kerr has said all of the right things, maintaining that Kuminga could still earn another role on the team despite all evidence pointing toward the contrary.
“There’s always a path for every player,” Kerr said Monday. “This is what I’ve learned in my time in the NBA, that there’s a reason you have 15 guys on your team. You have injuries, you have trades, you have stuff that happens. I tell our guys all the time, you stay ready, your time comes around, and then you have to pounce on it. That’s just kind of how it works.”
It might be with the Warriors latest opponent that Kuminga finally gets to pounce on the featured scoring role he has always wanted.
According to reports by Anthony Slater of ESPN and Sam Amick of The Athletic, it is Sacramento who remains as a frontrunner to deal for Kuminga, with the Nets and Pelicans also reported to have some level of interest.
The Kings are 8-29, the second worst record in the Western Conference, and would offer Kuminga ample chances to enjoy a featured role.
The thinking goes that while the 23-year-old has struggled to fit into Golden State’s complex read-and-react offense, he might thrive in a more conventional attack where he is given more opportunities with the ball in his hands.
Though Kerr has said all of the right things, even he appeared to be resigned to the idea that Kuminga’s time with Golden State is coming to a close.
“I can imagine it’s not easy for him, and we’ve talked about the situation,” Kerr said in January. “My desire for JK is for him to become the best player he can possibly be, regardless of where he ends up, whether it’s here or elsewhere.”
Kuminga has remained mostly silent during this time, only intermittently speaking and speaking in mature cliches whenever he does.
Kerr and Kuminga are not the only ones who appear to know the end is nigh on this era. Draymond Green, in a recent episode of his podcast, spoke glowingly of Kuminga’s character.
He relayed a story where the forward helped console and motivate fellow 23-year-old Brandin Podziemski, who unlike Kuminga has maintained a spot in the rotation.
“I just wanted to tell that story because oftentimes when situations aren’t going right, we start pointing fingers,” Green said.
“And it hasn’t worked as well as anyone would have liked for JK here for himself or for the organization,” Green continued. “It hasn’t worked on both sides. And that happens sometimes in the business that we’re in. But I wanted to point out who that guy is and his professionalism and how he’s dealing with it.”
Kuminga and the Warriors, if everything goes as expected, will not have to deal with the situation for very much longer.