As Jonathan Kuminga prepares for free agency, the Golden State Warriors are quickly learning that he wants the one thing they refuse to give him: A clear path to a featured scoring role. It’s the unfortunate truth hanging over what’s certain to be a complex series of negotiations.
If the Warriors hope to keep Kuminga, then head coach Steve Kerr will need to figure out how to do what he seems to believe isn’t a viable outcome
Kerr recently made waves when he and Draymond Green engaged in a public debate over Kuminga’s ability to play significant minutes alongside the current core. Kerr stated his concern that a four-man lineup of Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry, Green, and Kuminga would struggle to meet the goal of winning now. Green, meanwhile, responded by arguing that it’s too soon to make the determination given the limited number of times they’ve played together.
Based on Anthony Slater of The Athletic’s latest intel, Kerr’s line of thinking could go a long way toward deciding Kuminga’s future. Per Slater:
“Kuminga, league sources said, still has visions of becoming an All-Star, not fitting into an ever-moving mid-tier rotation role. He wants to be a featured player in an NBA offense and chase the 20-point-and-beyond dreams he’s spent his life chasing and the last week of his fourth season tasting.”
Slater clarified that Kerr and Kuminga aren’t at odds, but instead that finding the right contract with the ideal role is the restricted free agent’s top priority.
“There isn’t an irreconcilable player-and-coach or player-and-organization personality clash, league sources said. This is all about finding the contract and opportunity Kuminga craves.”
Considering Kerr doesn’t quite know how to fit Kuminga into his rotation, it’s fair to believe that Slater’s report revealed a sealed fate and a career path that leads the 22-year-old away from the Warriors.
Jonathan Kuminga wants the chance to be a featured player
When the Warriors selected Kuminga at No. 7 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, it appeared as though the franchise had officially begun to build for the future. Curry, Green, and Klay Thompson continued to operate as the team’s focal points, but with all three in their 30s, the time was nearing for a new generation of players to extend the franchise’s glory.
Unfortunately, Kuminga’s four seasons with the Warriors have been a story of untapped potential and limited opportunities to explore the extent of his abilities.
Kuminga averaged 16.9 minutes per game as a rookie and 20.8 during his second season. The upward trend continued in 2023-24, when he tallied a career-best 26.3 minutes per game. Unfortunately, that number declined to 24.3 in 2024-25—a figure that only scratches the surface of the dilemma at hand.
Not only did Kuminga average 2.0 fewer minutes per contest, but he became a healthy scratch for extended periods of the 2024-25 season—including parts of the postseason.
With Butler added to the starting lineup, Kerr understandably struggled to strike an ideal balance. All three of Butler, Green, and Kuminga are inefficient three-point shooters whose structural fit seemed to clash with Golden State’s emphasis on spacing.
At just 22 years of age, however, Kuminga has already established himself as one of the most capable scorers south of the All-Star line.
Over the past two seasons, Kuminga has averaged 15.8 points per game and 22.2 points per 36 minutes on 49.9 percent shooting from the field. He’s also coming off of a postseason during which he averaged 24.3 points per game on .554/.389/.720 shooting between the Warriors’ final five outings.
Fresh off of a statement string of performances, one can’t help but feel as though Kuminga’s hopes of securing a featured role will lead him to a new destination in free agency.
