Shannon Sharpe has given his opinion on the Jonathan Kuminga situation with the Golden State Warriors.
The 22-year-old is a restricted free agent and has been in talks for a contract extension with the Golden State Warriors throughout the offseason.
The Warriors reportedly offered Jonathan Kuminga a two-year $45 million deal, but he refused it.
Teams like the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings have been interested in acquiring his services, but the Warriors refused any deal with them because they wanted an unprotected first round pick in exchange for Kuminga.
He did not feature actively in the playoffs for the Warriors as Steve Kerr opted against playing him in the rotation, as he did not believe Kuminga could play alongside Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler.
Kendrick Perkins slammed the coach for his handling of Kuminga and now even Shannon Sharpe seems to agree with it.
Kerr eventually decided to bring Kuminga back to the rotation and as soon as he did that Kuminga proved his worth by scoring 30 points off the bench against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs.
Kuminga and Kerr have had problems before, with the player openly talking about not being happy with his role.
While discussing Kuminga, Sharpe gave his opinion on what he felt led to the meltdown between the franchise and the player.
He said: “I don’t think that’s an option for him [returning] because of things Kerr has said. I think he’s over that situation.”
Former NBA player Joe Johnson was also part of the podcast and stated what he felt about the 2022 NBA champion.
Johnson said: “I don’t think there’s been a huge market for him, it’s been a little weird for him. He’s definitely a talent who can help a team.”
Losing Kuminga is a big hit for the Warriors not only in terms of a valuable player going, but also giving up an asset if they ever wanted to trade for a star player.
He has remained positive during all these talks and has been putting work in on his game, while his future with the Warriors seems to be in a difficult position.
Kerr has always limited Kuminga’s minutes because of the other players on the Warriors, but after four years the player is confident of taking the next step.
He is one of the most athletic players and can score the ball well, which are qualities of a star. Kuminga could be that if he is given the minutes, but the Warriors cannot promise him that.
They have two stars who need the ball and bringing Kuminga into the rotation would make it difficult for them to operate their offense.
If he moves to another team, the 22-year-old could do well under a new coach and flourish in their system.
It looks likely that would be the route he takes as Kuminga is confident in what he can produce and will not compromise for a lesser salary.
