Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors: A Talented Player Stuck in NBA Limbo
There’s a certain irony in how Jonathan Kuminga’s NBA journey has unfolded so far - a former lottery pick with elite athletic tools, still searching for a consistent role on a team that’s never quite figured out what to do with him. Now in his fifth season with the Golden State Warriors, Kuminga remains one of the league’s most intriguing “what ifs.” And lately, he’s been more of a spectator than a contributor.
This isn’t a new story for the Warriors. It’s a continuation of a long-running balancing act - trying to win now with a veteran core while also developing young talent.
Kuminga has been at the center of that tug-of-war since he arrived. And while his flashes of brilliance have been real, so has the inconsistency - in both his play and his minutes.
The Rotation Roller Coaster
Let’s rewind to last postseason. Kuminga didn’t play a single minute in the first-round series against the Rockets.
Then, when injuries hit and the Warriors needed bodies against the Wolves in the second round, he was suddenly back in the mix. His performance?
Just like his usage - up and down.
That pattern has carried into this season. The Warriors started hot, going 4-1 out of the gate, and Kuminga looked like he was carving out a real role - averaging 30 minutes per game and shooting a strong 53.7% from the field.
But just as quickly as he emerged, he disappeared. After logging 21 minutes against the Cavs, Kuminga didn’t see the floor at all in a win over the Bulls.
Then came back-to-back DNPs in losses to the Wolves and Blazers.
Head coach Steve Kerr explained the rotation shuffle by pointing to the return of Jimmy Butler from injury and a desire to get minutes for other wings like Pat Spencer, Gui Santos, and De’Anthony Melton. “We have a lot of mouths to feed,” Kerr said - and right now, Kuminga isn’t one of them.
Kerr acknowledged the difficulty of the situation. “I can imagine it’s not easy for him,” he said. That might be an understatement.
Staying Ready, Staying Professional
To Kuminga’s credit, he’s handled the situation with maturity. After being benched against the Bulls, he gave a calm, thoughtful postgame interview - no frustration, no finger-pointing, just a clear message: he’s staying ready. That’s not always easy for a 23-year-old who knows he has the talent to contribute but keeps getting shuffled to the back of the line.
And here’s the twist - he might not have to wait much longer. Kuminga signed a new two-year, $22.5 million deal this offseason, with a team option for $24.3 million next year.
It’s a contract that makes him very tradable, and starting January 15, he’ll be eligible to be moved. The Warriors didn’t rush to deal him this summer, even though the negotiation process reportedly got tense.
But the writing on the wall is clear: Golden State structured the deal to keep their options open.
Kerr didn’t shy away from that reality. “My desire for JK is for him to become the best player he can be,” he said, “regardless of where he ends up - whether it’s here or elsewhere.” That’s about as close to an open acknowledgment of a potential breakup as you’ll hear from an NBA coach.
The Two-Timeline Dilemma Still Lingers
This isn’t just about Kuminga. It’s about the Warriors’ broader identity crisis.
Remember the “two timelines” experiment? The idea was to develop young players like Kuminga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman while still contending with the Curry-Draymond-Klay core.
It sounded great in theory. In practice, it didn’t work.
The organization eventually realized that the only timeline that really matters is Steph Curry’s.
There was a moment last season when Draymond Green was benched in favor of Kuminga. Instead of bristling, Green actually endorsed the move.
“A lot of people in this organization, including myself, think [Kuminga] is next,” he said. “And so if he’s next, at some point we’ve got to see it.”
But that moment never quite arrived. The experiment was short-lived, and Kuminga’s minutes have been shrinking ever since.
After the trade for Jimmy Butler, Kerr cited spacing concerns when playing Kuminga alongside Butler and Green. That’s a valid critique - the fit isn’t seamless.
But it also underscores the larger issue: Kuminga has never truly been integrated into the core rotation in a way that allows him to thrive. He’s often the odd man out when lineups get tight.
The Numbers Tell the Story
The Warriors are hovering at 13-14, with a point differential that’s barely above water. They’re chasing the Wolves and Suns in the Western Conference standings and holding a slim lead over the Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed.
When Kuminga is on the floor, the team’s net rating is -4.5. When he’s off, it jumps to +4.1.
That’s a tough stat to ignore - and it likely plays a role in the coaching staff’s decisions.
But it also raises a deeper question: why is Kuminga still on the roster if the fit just isn’t there?
Golden State had opportunities to move on this summer. Instead, they kept him, negotiated a new contract, and now find themselves in the same place - unsure of how or when to use him.
Kuminga, for his part, seems to have made peace with it. “Whatever happened in the summer, I don’t control that,” he said.
“It happened for a reason, but it’s the past.”
That’s a mature outlook, but it doesn’t change the reality: he’s stuck in limbo, waiting for either Kerr to call his number or the front office to move him to a new situation.
The Business Side of Basketball
Kerr summed it up with a dose of hard truth: “It’s a weird business to be in because you have to fully commit to the team knowing full well that team may trade you. Or cut you. That’s a really hard thing to reconcile.”
It is. And for Kuminga, it’s not just theoretical. It’s his everyday reality - suiting up, staying ready, and watching from the bench, knowing that his future might lie somewhere else.
Whether that future comes sooner or later, one thing is clear: Kuminga’s time in Golden State has been defined by potential, patience, and a whole lot of waiting. The question now isn’t whether he can play. It’s whether the Warriors still believe he fits into their present - or if it’s finally time to let him find his future elsewhere.