The Golden State Warriors‘ nightmare offseason ended after Jonathan Kuminga signed a two-year, $48.5 million extension at the end of September. While frustrations mounted from both sides during the summer, an NBA insider has made a surprising revelation about Kuminga before the start of the season.
On a recent episode of ESPN’s NBA Today, Marc J. Spears shared his observation from watching Kuminga play in Monday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Spears also spoke to the Congolese player and revealed what he’s feeling coming into the campaign.
“Happiness, joy, peace, which is surprising. I’ve been around a while. I remember seeing Allen Iverson being unhappy in Memphis, if you remember that. Jimmy Butler. Stephen Jackson in Golden State. Kevin Durant not being happy. But I saw Kuminga dancing after the game, he told me he was at peace. I think the guys, Steph (Curry), Draymond (Green), Jimmy and Buddy Hield played a good role in giving him support, and I think that helped him a lot,” Spears said.
Spears added that Kuminga didn’t sound like a guy that really wanted to leave Golden State. The 23-year-old forward was happily dancing and celebrating on the bench during the Warriors’ 111-103 win over the Lakers.
Steve Kerr’s Plans for Jonathan Kuminga
Despite all the things that Jonathan Kuminga’s agent said about Steve Kerr, the four-time NBA champion coach is not harboring any bad feelings. Kerr told Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard that Kuminga is part of his plans next season. He’s already looking at possible lineups featuring the athletic forward.
Kerr added that the addition of Al Horford will be key in unlocking Kuminga’s scoring potential. As a slasher, he needs all the space he can get, and the only way to open things up for him is to surround him with shooters. Kerr is looking at a potential lineup featuring Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Kuminga, Horford and Quinten Post.
“Well, this is going to be a shock, but (Kuminga) plays well with Steph, literally, everybody plays well with Steph. From there, that’s where the combinations … you start to get a feel. (Podz) is basically good with everybody. So you know, when I think about JK, Steph, BP, now we’ve got a space five. We’ve got two of them actually, with Quinten and Al. So I’m looking forward to putting (Kuminga) with Al, especially. Because Al’s got the ability to protect the rim, and he’s excellent defensively. Even at 39, he’s still a very good defender,” Kerr said.
Kerr further explained that he failed to integrate Kuminga after his return from injury and the Butler trade because of the lack of spacing.
Jonathan Kuminga’s Goal For This Season
Speaking to reporters after Day 3 of training camp, Jonathan Kuminga was asked about his decision to sign a two-year contract, with a team option for next season. Kuminga bet on himself because his goal for the upcoming season is to help the Golden State Warriors win a championship, as per Kalyb Champion of NBA.com.
“Me betting on myself is helping us win a championship, that’s our goal,” Kuminga said.
The fifth-year forward added that he’s happy in Golden State, and another goal of his is to play in the Bay Area for a long time.
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