Warriors’ Steve Kerr reflects on his vision for Jonathan Kuminga amid trade rumors

SAN FRANCISCO– The end feels near for Jonathan Kuminga and his time with the Golden State Warriors. With his trade restriction expiring on January 15th and him being firmly outside of Steve Kerr’s rotation, all signs point to the inevitable split that loomed over both parties when they inked his contract last summer.

But for a brief moment early in the season, the Warriors’ ideal vision for Kuminga looked like it could become fully realized. A brief week and a half in which the Dubs went 4-1, with Kuminga fully entrenched as a starter, where it felt like the patience from both sides had finally paid off.

Of course, that moment faded like a comet in the night, with injury and inconsistent play leading to Kuminga catching DNP-CD after DNP-CD, which takes us to just under a week before his trade restriction expires, and under a month before the trade deadline. Amid the uncertainty not uncommon with Kuminga’s future, Kerr reflected on his vision for the 23-year-old forward at the start of the season versus how it’s played out.

“I’m disappointed for him that things didn’t continue to go the way they did the first couple of weeks,” Kerr said. “At the same time, it was going to be tricky to start JK, Jimmy, Draymond, at the 2,3, and 4. I think anybody can see that’s a tough combination based on shooting.”

In 163 shared minutes this season, the Kuminga-Butler-Green three-man group totaled a mediocre 114.8 offensive rating and a 106.3 defensive rating. Those stats were far better than the previous season, but as Kerr pointed out, the offensive eye-test showed a trio that lacked the necessary spacing needed in the modern NBA.

“The weaknesses of that lineup were exposed, and that’s why we went in a different direction.”

Will Kuminga see the floor again in a Warriors uniform?

With the limbo Kuminga and the Warriors currently reside in, it’s hard to see a return to the rotation as if nothing happened. There’s always the fear from both sides that an injury could derail a potential trade, but beyond the politicking, Kuminga’s on/off numbers suggest he just doesn’t fit this team’s offense.

The Warriors are a -6.0 points per 100 possessions with Kuminga on the floor, which ranks in the 16th percentile among all NBA players according to Cleaning the Glass. The Warriors simply shoot worse, turn the ball over more, and shoot fewer free throws with him on the floor.

All that to say, it’s hard to see a pathway towards Kuminga getting back into the rotation. Especially given that ClutchPoints’ NBA Insider Brett Siegel reported that both sides have a mutual understanding to keep him sidelined until a trade materializes.

Regardless, Kerr continues to not rule out Kuminga finding his way back onto the court for the Warriors, despite emphasizing the solidity of the rotation.

“It’s a rotation thing, we’re in a place right now where we feel good about our starting lineup,” Kerr said ahead of the Dubs’ matchup with the Sacramento Kings.

“It can change. It can always change. But right now, things haven’t gone his way.”

The post Warriors’ Steve Kerr reflects on his vision for Jonathan Kuminga amid trade rumors appeared first on ClutchPoints.