New Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors Rumors Reveal 'Sour' Relationship, Latest on Star's Trade Value
Months after he signed a two-year contract with the team, Jonathan Kuminga's relationship with the Golden State Warriors might be in a worse state than ever, according to The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II, Sam Amick and Nick Friedell.
They reported that "the situation has grown so sour" that the Warriors might be unable to move Kuminga before the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline.
The Athletic report cited one situation that's symptomatic of a larger issue.
Kuminga was seemingly in line to suit up against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 2, only to be ruled out late because of lower back soreness. Golden State lost 131-94 to the reigning champions.
"Kuminga's absence certainly raised some eyebrows across the league, and frustration within the Warriors' organization," per The Athletic. "Multiple team sources said they suspect Kuminga wasn't actually hurt."
The report cited one Warriors player who said they "wouldn't have played either" because "it's clear the coach doesn't believe in him."
All of the drama is serving to drive down Kuminga's trade value.
According to The Athletic, interested suitors are trying to drive a hard bargain with the Warriors, who are signaling a willingness to keep the 23-year-old forward through the deadline.
"Rival executives are skeptical that the Warriors would follow through on that approach, if only because the negativity surrounding his situation has clearly made their already-challenging season so much worse," per the report.
Underlining that point, team governor Joe Lacob is "down" on Kuminga after having rated him highly throughout his run in Golden State.
This outcome was foreseeable because a lot of the factors that had led to Kuminga feeling frustrated last season remained.
When push comes to shove, Kerr has shown he doesn't trust the young forward in a high-usage role, and it's tough to totally blame the coach.
Balancing player development with the pursuit of a championship is an almost impossible needle to thread, which Golden State learned the hard way. The moment the team starts to struggle, the coach will lean increasingly more on veterans who have delivered in the past.
Of course, a young player isn't going to improve on the bench, so he's inevitably going to angle for more playing time. Kuminga will have hoped to become more than a role player midway through his fifth season.
But earning playing time is a two-way street.
"Kerr wants him to put his athleticism to use and play off the gravity Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler create," The Athletic's Tony Jones posited. "Attack gaps. Move without the ball. Finish at the rim. Most importantly, defend with energy. He doesn't do those things, and that's fine. What he needs to understand is that the Warriors wouldn't stop him from doing those things if he proved he could do them. He hasn't, and he has not come to grips with that. That's why Kuminga and the Warriors are in their current space.
Kerr gave some cryptic remarks Wednesday, calling this a "difficult situation" and adding that "we have to control what we can control":
A separation between Kuminga and the Warriors can't come soon enough, though that's complicated by how much his stock has fallen. He's simply not a positive asset right now.
The job for general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is to find a Kuminga trade that is as painless to Golden State as possible.
