Jonathan Kuminga’s time with the Golden State Warriors seems to be coming to an unfortunate end.
The player has yet to agree to a deal from the Dubs and while other teams are inquiring, the Golden State Warriors want a good return for their 2021 first-round pick.
Steve Kerr benched Jonathan Kuminga during the Warriors’ playoff run last season.
However, when Steph Curry suffered a hamstring injury, Kuminga was brought back and his performance there left everyone impressed.
Many thought this would lead the Dubs to bring back the 2022 champion, but the team has been hesitant to offer him a deal of his choice, which according to reports is around $30 million annually.
His contract situation has now led Kendrick Perkins to call out Steve Kerr for his mismanagement.
Kuminga has previously expressed disappointment in his role with the Dubs.
The restricted free agency market was always going to be tough for the Warriors as they were aware of Kuminga’s demands.
They have a strategy in place which would mean he leaves the team, but Perkins believes the Warriors need to take more accountability for what happens with their young stars.
He said: “Steve Kerr in my opinion has a hard time letting young guys be great.
“The only person I’ve seen him wrap his arms around as a young guy is Podziemski and Podziemski is going to have a long career as a role player, but when it comes down to guys elevating and you see a guy that has the potential to be a franchise guy, Steve Kerr is holding these guys back.”
Kuminga was drafted in 2021, and since then he has come a long way. With an NBA championship to his name, he would certainly add a lot of value to any roster, but staying with the Warriors would be great for his career.
Kerr stated it would be difficult to play Kuminga alongside Curry and Jimmy Butler. But the latter confirmed it would be no problem as the 22-year-old’s game is different and could help the Warriors significantly.
| Season | Points | Rebounds |
| 2024-25 | 15.3 | 4.6 |
| 2023-24 | 16.1 | 4.8 |
| 2022-23 | 9.9 | 3.4 |
The Phoenix Suns are believed to be one of the teams interested in Kuminga, but the roster there is certainly not better than Golden State.
Kuminga could be a brilliant NBA player, but he will have to learn how to play as the second or third option. He can score and is athletic, but a player needs a lot more than that to be successful in the NBA.
Perkins heaped praise on Kuminga’s ability and stated he could still be good for the Warriors.
“If you have a guy like Jonathan Kuminga, one of the most athletic guys in the NBA, I believe he is an elite talent that’s going to continue to get better. How do you not embrace him and wrap your arms around this young man.
“This young man has shown signs and flashes every single time when he was given the right opportunity. Steph went out, he was injured in the Minnesota series, the guy was averaging 23-24 points, high percentage shooting.
“He’s gotten better every single season at different points of his game, does he have areas to grow when it comes down to IQ or maybe playing winning basketball? Absolutely,” he added.
