Jonathan Kuminga Returns to Warriors Practice; 1st Since Suffering Ankle Injury

Jonathan Kuminga took an important step toward returning to the court Wednesday.

ESPN's Marc J. Spears relayed an update from the Golden State Warriors that revealed the forward returned to practice for the first time since he suffered a sprained right ankle on Jan. 4 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

"His return to game action will be based on his continued progress and physical readiness," the update said.

Kuminga has missed 21 games, and the update didn't make it seem like he will necessarily be ready to return to action when the Warriors take the court again for Friday's game against the Sacramento Kings.

Still, returning for practice is a critical hurdle toward his eventual return to the lineup for the season's stretch run.

The 22-year-old averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from deep in 32 games before suffering the injury. While he shuffled from the starting lineup to a bench role, he was playing some of his best basketball right before the setback.

Kuminga scored 34 points in back-to-back games on Dec. 27 against the Los Angeles Clippers and Dec. 28 against the Phoenix Suns before notching a double-double in a Dec. 30 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

That was before the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat via trade, so it remains to be seen how Kuminga's role will change when he is back in the lineup.

While he was arguably Golden State's second-best scoring option behind Stephen Curry before Butler arrived, he may be in more of a secondary role given the presence of the six-time All-Star.

Yet his return will give the Warriors another important option in their offense as they look to make up ground in the Western Conference standings. They are tied with the Sacramento Kings in ninth place in the conference, which would put them in the play-in tournament.

But a lineup with Curry, Draymond Green, Butler and Kuminga might be strong enough to avoid the play-in tournament and make up the 3.5 game deficit the Warriors are facing with the sixth-seeded Clippers.