The writing’s on the wall for a Jonathan Kuminga–Golden State Warriors breakup this summer.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr’s move to yank Kuminga out of the rotation in their most important games of the season—a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 6 seed and a win over the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 7 seed—just confirmed what has been bubbling for the past two years.
Kuminga was not and will never be Kerr’s type of player. Especially with Jimmy Butler, who is much better in every facet of the game, helping Kerr and the Warriors win.
Kuminga barely survived the past trade deadline. ESPN reported he would have been part of the Warriors’ outgoing package in the nixed Kevin Durant trade talks.
The Warriors could revisit that this summer to give Kuminga a fresh start and form a new Big Three in the Bay Area.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey proposed a Kuminga sign-and-trade for Durant. However, it would also be at the expense of longtime Warriors cornerstone Draymond Green, who has championed Kuminga.
Here is Bailey’s trade proposal:
Golden State Warriors receive: Kevin Durant
Phoenix Suns receive: Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga (sign-and-trade), Buddy Hield, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick
“Given Durant’s hefty $54.7 million salary in 2025-26, Golden State would almost certainly have to include Draymond Green in this deal. With the personality clashes between Draymond and KD, that might actually get the former Warrior to soften his stance on returning to the Bay.
Much of the rest of the incoming salary could be offset by a sign-and-trade involving restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, who still has plenty of promise but wasn’t in Golden State’s rotation in its final game of the season,” Bailey wrote.
Jonathan Kuminga’s Camp is ‘Exhausted’
ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Wednesday, April 16, that Kuminga’s camp is “exhausted” by the disrespect after two straight DNP-CD (did not play-coach’s decision).
Kerr has not indicated Kuminga will be part of the Warriors’ rotation when they open their first-round playoff series against the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets.
Kuminga averaged 21.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in four games against the Rockets this season. It’s Kuminga’s second-highest scoring average against any single opponent this season.
“They need him in this series because you think about the athletes that Houston has,” Charania said of Kuminga on the “NBA Today” on Wednesday. “This is why they drafted Jonathan Kuminga. This is why they put so much trust in him. But back-to-back games in this play-in tournament, Steve Kerr essentially tells Jonathan Kuminga, ‘You are not in our rotation. You are not going to be playing.’
“And this is something that Jonathan Kuminga has been really immune to over the course of his career with Steve Kerr and the Warriors. His side is exhausted by a lot of disrespect in a lot of ways.”
Kevin Durant Leaves Door Open for Golden State Return
Durant nearly reunited with the Warriors at the trade deadline. But Durant nixed the deal when he learned about it because he did not want to move midseason.
But this offseason is another story.
“We just play the season out and if that’s the decision you want to make in the offseason then you figure it out,” Durant said on the “Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis” on Feb. 26. “It’s just such a big change to make and I’ve been through it before I was like damn that’s not really it. If I can stop it then why not?”
The Warriors have a chance if still they want to this summer as the Suns are expected to revisit trade talks involving Durant, according to Charania.
“Phoenix is expected to engage in trade conversations involving Durant and will have discussions on the future of Beal, according to sources. Multiple teams will seriously pursue Durant, who finished another stellar season, and the franchise is expected to work with Durant and his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman on the next landing spot for the future Hall of Famer,” Charania wrote.
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