As Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga enters the final year of his deal, there are questions about his future with the franchise.
Kuminga and his team reportedly rejected the Warriors’ two-year, $45 million contract offer, and Golden State is disinterested in a sign-and-trade with teams like the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns.
Here is what one Western Conference executive told NBC Sports Bay Area about the Kuminga situation:
“There will be some teams with money next year. Kuminga might have to just have to ride this out one more year and see what happens. It might come to fruition. Maybe he becomes more like ‘the guy’ there. There are people who believe he should play more, that he should do this more or do that more.
“But you still got Steph (Curry) there. You got Jimmy (Butler) there.”
Kuminga, 23 in October, has not quite lived up to his 7th overall in the 2021 Draft billing. However, he has also averaged 15.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 stocks per game while playing only 25.6 minutes per game over the last two seasons.
Perhaps Kuminga is destined for more, and his athleticism and upside could help the Warriors reach their prime dynasty heights for one final ride or two in the Curry era.
On the other hand, Kuminga will still be strapped for minutes — barring injuries — due to an awkward on-court fit with Golden State’s starting five.
We know head coach Steve Kerr wants to roll with at least three guards, and while Draymond Green is more than capable of playing the five, Kuminga leaves them with spacing issues at the four.
This could also be a win-win scenario for the Warriors. If Kuminga breaks out, great, you have an aging core of Curry, Butler, and Green, and need all the instant reinforcements you can get. If Kuminga plateaus, losing the upcoming restricted free agent to a more desperate team is not the end of the world.
Either way, this crucial contract year will set the tone for the rest of Kuminga’s time in the NBA.
