As soon as the Golden State Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs, reports surfaced that Jonathan Kuminga may look to force his way out this summer, due to a lack of opportunity.
Head coach Steve Kerr, the man in charge of Kuminga’s minutes, addressed the reports, during a recent radio appearance with 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibbs.”
“I think he’s frustrated that he didn’t play but I would hope anybody in his situation would be frustrated,” Kerr told the hosts on Tuesday. “We had a great conversation with Bob Myers & we’re excited about JK coming back next year. I think he’s excited to be coming back.”
Kuminga suited up for the Warriors in 67 regular-season games this year, logging about 20.8 minutes each time. The 20-year-old averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, while shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.0% from beyond the arc.
Jonathan Kuminga Wants Bigger Role With Warriors or Trade
Kerr’s radio discussing of the former No. 7 overall pick, was prompted by last Friday’s report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater.
According to the article, Kuminga’s representatives are “expected to discuss his future this offseason.”
“The Warriors and Kuminga’s representatives are expected to discuss his future this offseason, league sources say,” Slater and Charania wrote. “Golden State will need to decide whether Kuminga will receive a full-time role moving forward and, if not, league sources say the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft will want to be somewhere he can play more.”
Kuminga’s frustrations likely stem from his extremely inconsistent playing time in the playoffs. After having a role throughout the course of the regular season, he was relegated to playing just 26 total minutes in the series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Slater and Charania went into further detail about how the young wing slipped out of Kerr’s rotation.
“Kuminga had an encouraging second season, emerging into the type of individual defender and slashing wing who should carve out a long career in the NBA. He was great down the stretch of the regular season, helping the Warriors get into the playoffs while Andrew Wiggins was away from the team for a couple months. But Wiggins returned, [Gary Payton II] entered the lineup and Kuminga was pulled from the playoff rotation, generating frustration for a young player trying to get his career off the ground and a front office that doesn’t view him as a failed draft pick. … It’s been difficult to fit him into lineup combinations with both Green and Kevon Looney – two non-shooters – and that frontcourt logjam ahead of him is expected to remain in place.”
Hornets Could Be Suitors for Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga
If Kuminga’s team is unable to reach a meeting point with the Warriors, then his time in the Bay could very well be finished.
In pure speculation, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley listed a “dream trade target” for each team, picking Kuminga as the top choice for the Charlotte Hornets.
“The Hornets need building blocks, but they also need keepers who won’t cost an arm, leg and torso to get. There is a non-zero chance Jonathan Kuminga, the No. 7 pick in 2021, could qualify as such. The Golden State Warriors wouldn’t let him go for cheap, but they might be amenable to a deal after watching him fail to crack the playoff rotation. If the Hornets can get Kuminga for less than a premium price, they should. The 20-year-old has elite physical tools and has shown high-end flashes on both ends of the court. He needs a situation with more developmental minutes available than there are in Golden State, and Charlotte could give him all the floor time he needs to climb toward his towering two-way ceiling.”
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Warriors’ Steve Kerr Sounds Off on Potential Jonathan Kuminga Trade Request