All hope is not lost on Jonathan Kuminga’s future with the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have spent the entire offseason in stalemate over the 22-year-old’s new contract extension.
On one hand, Kuminga rejected the Warriors’ $45m offer, likely to get a better offer in a potential sign-and-trade deal. The Warriors, on the other hand, have yet to find an enticing enough offer for Kuminga.
Amid this chaos, NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor urged Kuminga to swallow his pride and accept a role on the Warriors that’ll make him a hero for the franchise.
Following the events of the 2024-25 season, it’s clear that head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t see Kuminga as a star, at least on the Warriors.
However, instead of getting mad at Kerr, O’Connor wants Kuminga to understand what the Dubs head coach has ‘envisioned’ for him.
“I just wish at the end of the day, Kuminga would embrace the role Kerr envisions for him, and that’s being like a new-age Shawn Marion.
“Shawn Marion was a great effing player, dude, he was a great player on winning teams,” O’Connor said via Yahoo! Sports.
He added: “If you’re Shawn Marion on this team, you still got a long career ahead of you. If you want to someday be that star, but to be that star, you have to be the Shawn Marion first.
For context, Marion enjoyed a 16-year stint in the NBA, averaging 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. He retired as a 1x NBA champion, 2x All-NBA, and 4x NBA All-Star.
Marion was one of the most prolific small forwards in the NBA during his early years with the Phoenix Suns.
But by the time Marion signed with the Dallas Mavericks, he had become a role player, albeit starting most games.
O’Connor wants Kuminga to take on a similar role. He believes Kuminga has the right tools for that, but he’s lacking the mindset.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that he will embrace that role or want to take on that role. But more than anything else, I just wish Kuminga would make that choice to be that guy, because he has the tools to be that guy, just doesn’t have the mindset,” O’Connor concluded.
Considering Kuminga is still young and hasn’t had the chance to truly prove himself as a top-notch star, it’s no surprise that the Warriors star lacks that mindset.
