Rather than give up on Jonathan Kuminga completely ahead of a likely mid-season trade, Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors are set to bring the young forward back into the rotation fold for Thursday's meeting against the Phoenix Suns.
However, Kuminga's return to the rotation might also be a message to 29 other rival teams around the league -- here's our $22.5 million young forward and you now get a month to see him playing considerable minutes again before a potential trade.
Jonathan Kuminga has another chance before becoming trade eligible
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Of course, the Warriors would like nothing more than for Kuminga to play well over the month, but even if he does do that and is a consistent part of the rotation, does it really overwhelm the years of being in and out of the rotation?
The answer is no, or at least it shouldn't unless Joe Lacob really gets involved as a noted fan of the former seventh overall pick. The idea that Kuminga could use this period to solidify his future at the franchise seems fanciful, particularly when he's still likely to be stuck in a bench role rather than consistent minutes in the starting lineup.
Even though Golden State will have nothing on their mind but winning over the next month, this is also a time where Kuminga will essentially be showcased to rival teams. There's an irony in the fact his return to the rotation will seemingly come against the Suns -- one of the two teams, along with the Sacramento Kings, that had the strongest interest in sign-and-trade negotiations during the offseason.
[Steve Kerr stated on Wednesday](https://bluemanhoop.com/warriors-announce-next-jonathan-kuminga-move-everyone-could-see-coming) that Kuminga has been working really hard and that he wants to reward that, but one can't help but to wonder if there was some pressure from those in the front office to get the 23-year-old back on the floor.
In fairness to Kuminga, he's seemingly said the right things publicly to show he's still invested in the team. It's also in his best interests to do that, and to play well over the next month, because it might just increase his value enough where Golden State can find a suitable trade that gives him an opportunity elsewhere.
It's a big month ahead for the Warriors as a team as they look to recover from an underwhelming 13-14 start. It's also a big month for a number of individual players whose futures remain uncertain, starting with Kuminga who will become trade eligible on January 15.