Barack Obama Questioned Steve Kerr About Jonathan Kuminga Before Warriors-Hawks Trade

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was asked about the status of Jonathan Kuminga by an unexpected source before the 2025-26 NBA season.

According to ESPN's Wright Thompson, Kerr spoke at a conference in Aspen, Colorado, last summer, and while attending a dinner party, he was approached by former United States President Barack Obama, who said, "Coach! What's gonna happen with Kuminga?"

Kuminga's situation was a huge talking point all offseason long, as it wasn't until September that he signed a two-year, $46.8 million contract with a club option for 2026-27.

After setting career highs in 2023-24 with averages of 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, Kuminga took a bit of a step back the following season.

However, he did end the 2024-25 campaign on a high note personally, averaging 24.3 points per contest on 55.4 percent shooting in four playoff games without the injured Stephen Curry.

As a result, there was hope Kuminga would be a key contributor for the Warriors in 2025-26, but that never really materialized, as his scoring average dropped to 12.1 points per game, and he appeared in only 20 games before being dropped from the rotation.

Kuminga was traded to the Atlanta Hawks along with Buddy Hield in exchange for Kristaps Porziņģis in February, thus ending Kuminga's rocky tenure with Golden State.

While Kuminga's immediate future is unclear since the Hawks hold a club option for next season, he is still just 23 years old, which suggests he may have untapped potential.

As for the Warriors, they struggled to a 37-45 record and missed the playoffs after losing to the Phoenix Suns in the postseason play-in tournament.

It is fair to wonder if their time as championship contenders is over, but Kerr agreed to a two-year deal last week to remain the Warriors' head coach in hopes of bringing them to glory one last time.