Charles Barkley reveals why Stephen Curry is the real loser of Jonathan Kuminga saga

The working relationship between Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga and head coach Steve Kerr has produced endless speculation over the last year-plus, as headlines and rumors pile up. Apart from Jimmy Butler’s devastating ACL injury, which decimates the team’s already slim championship chances, this saga has dominated Dubs coverage. Interestingly enough, neither Kuminga nor Kerr may be with the franchise past this season.

The former requested a trade amid his scant playing time, and the latter is in the final year of his contract. Barring the unthinkable, Stephen Curry will still be in the Bay Area for the 2026-27 campaign, which means he could be the one who most suffers the consequences of this mentally-exhausting situation. If Kuminga maintained a more consistent form from the onset and Kerr allocated him a decent workload earlier in the season, then the squad would be far better equipped to withstand Butler’s absence.

Instead, a trade seems like the only outcome at this point. Curry will need to look elsewhere for reinforcements. Charles Barkley pities the 37-year-old point guard for being put in a precarious position in the twilight of his legendary NBA career.

“The biggest loser in the whole thing is Steph because they were not contenders,” the Hall of Famer and longtime analyst said on Saturday, via the Oh No He Didn’t X account. “Now Steph is gonna finish the last part of his career on a mediocre team.”

Chuck while talking about the Kuminga drama:

"The biggest loser in the whole thing is Steph because they were not contenders now Steph is gonna finish the last part of his career on a mediocre team" pic.twitter.com/yW398dcxRr

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) January 24, 2026

Stephen Curry remains an offensive juggernaut in year 17, scoring 27.4 points while shooting 39.2 percent from 3-point range through 36 games. Fans have seen what happens when he shoulders a hefty burden for a considerable amount of time. The Warriors can only expect so much of him, even if he is earning $59.6 million this season (most in the NBA). Preserving Curry’s health would ideally be the team’s top priority right now, but Golden State (25-21) is already in eighth place in the Western Conference.

Jonathan Kuminga is currently nursing knee and ankle injuries, and even when he returns, it is unclear how long he will be in a Warriors uniform. With Jimmy Butler done for the season, Curry will have to be superhuman for the Dubs to play meaningful basketball games this spring. Unless the organization makes drastic changes or gets extremely lucky, Barkley’s claim appears unarguable.

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