Jonathan Kuminga, trade rumors, Golden State Warriors, Steve Kerr
Getty
Jonathan Kuminga and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr are not on the same page, now fueling new trade rumors amid his injury absence.
The Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga are not in the same spot they were after the first week of the season. The wing player has now missed six consecutive games, and according to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, he has no idea when the forward will return.
Kuminga himself declined to comment to reporters on his health status,and added that with theWarriors’ recent struggles, the 23-year-old appears on the outside of the franchise like he was over the summer, and his future with the team is now in serious question.
NBACentral
The Warriors were hoping Jonathan Kuminga would start scrimmaging after his MRI came back clean, but he says his knee has been sore for two weeks 😬, per @anthonyVslater
“The MRI on Kuminga’s knees came back clean, sources told ESPN, so there is no structural damage. He has
According to multiple reports from ESPN, The Athletic and CBS Sports, the Warriors and Kuminga could beheading straight towards a divorce after what was initially a promising start with the team under his new contract.
“Something has to change, and chances areit’s going to be Kuminga. At this point,it’s just better for everyone to trade him. End the charade,”Brad Botkin wrote for CBS Sports. “So fire up the hypotheticals, because at this point, who wants to do this dance anymore? That contract, it appears now more than ever, was always an arranged marriage headed for divorce.”
Golden State is now 10-9, but the issues across the roster are hard to ignore, not just the Kuminga sideof things. While Stephen Curry continues to carry the team, Al Horford and Draymond Green are out with injuries, and Golden State has some massive hurdles to overcome on both sides of the ball, regardless of whether Kuminga is in or not.
Kuminga And The WarriorsAre Headed Towards A Divorce
There’s been a lot made and reported on Kuminga over the past few weeks. Green, Butler, and Curry have all come to his defense, but aftercomments made by Kerr on theforward’s uncertain status, new questions arebeing raised.
Kenzo Fukuda
Steve Kerr did not have a timeline on when Jonathan Kuminga will return from bilateral patellar tendinitis:
“I don’t know where [he’s at], he’s got to tell you where he is. He didn’t do anything. Training staff, working with them, I have no idea what he’s doing.”
According to Nick Friedell of The Athletic,multiple times, Kuminga failed to share anyupdate on his health.
“TheAthletic approached Kuminga, who declined to comment. When told that it was Kerr who told the media to ask Kuminga himself how he was doing in recovery, he again declined to comment,”the insider wrote. “Kuminga is not required to speak to the media, but his decision not to share an update will only feed into the speculation about his lingering status.”
Kerr’s comments andKuminga’s lack ofcomments have fueled anow-growing fire in Golden State, and with that,it’s becoming harder and harder to argue forhim having a long-term future with the team.
“Kerrisn’t going to put a player on the floor who says heisn’t feeling well enough to play, but there seems to be a disconnect between player and coach that not only is worth noting, but feels like another chapter of the story that turned over the summer, whenKuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner,repeatedly usedKerr’s name in interviews during contract negotiations,”Friedell added.
NBA on ESPN
“Steve Kerr doesn’t want Kuminga. Kuminga doesn’t want to play for the Warriors, in part, because he knows the coach doesn’t want him.” @espn_macmahon breaks down how he views the Warriors-Kuminga situation.
The coach had previouslymade an effort to give the forward a bigger role, but after his injury and downturn in play, Kumingahasn’t held anything close tothe same role since the first two weeks of the season. Rumorshave circulated on a potential trade for months, but now,a move sending Kuminga out appears closer than ever.
Where Does That Leave Golden State
Besides Kuminga, the Warriors have issues across the roster.
“Al Horford is officially old.Gary Payton II can’t shoot.Buddy Hield can’t do anything but shoot.Brandin Podziemski and Moody can only sometimes shoot. Draymond is shooting 38% from the field. Only four teams in the league turn the ball over as often or more,”Botkin wrote.
Yetstill, Kuminga’s status remains the biggest concern, as both his struggleswhen on the court and quiet absencewhen off are impossible to ignore for a team that had real title hopes before the season. Whileit’s hard to blame the 23-year-old for theteam’spoor shooting or on-ball defense,it’s equallyhard to sayhe’s been a key to their limited success.
Most recently, Curry shared some hope and that he understands what it feels like to watch from the sidelines, but made sure to put Kuminga on notice while he sits with an unknown return date.
“Youcan’t lose the feel for whatwe’re trying to do,”Curry said. “Becausehe’ll be held to that same standard when he comes back.We’ve all missed time at certain points and you understand how to balance that.It’s not easy because rehab sucks.It’s monotonous,it’s draining becauseyou’re not doing what you love to do, andthat’s be out there and play. Just try to keep everything light around the locker room.”
In an effort to both fix what has been theirbiggest issue team-chemistry-wise, while potentiallytesting the market to see what they can add, a Kuminga trade before the deadline looks like a forgone conclusion.Several teams have reported interest in the wing, and the Warriors should pounce at any chance they get to revamp and reinvigorate what appears to beCurry’s final chapter.