The Golden State coach acknowledged that Kuminga faced an unfair and "tough situation" within the Warriors.
The embattled Jonathan Kuminga saga is now over for the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State Warriors / Schedule
The Dubs pulled the trigger ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, sending Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis.
It marked the official ending of the turbulent 4 ½ seasons for both sides, but Steve Kerr is mindful enough to acknowledge that the young forward faced a challenging scenario since he stepped into the Bay Area.
"I think it was a tough situation for everybody, given how raw he was when he got here and given we were still playing for championships," Kerr told ESPN's Anthony Slater. "He needed the runway to make more mistakes. He needed the experience of being in the NBA and understanding what it was about. For him, it was very tough not being allowed to make those mistakes.
"For us as a staff, it was tricky trying to develop him while we were trying to win."
Kuminga was the prized No. 7 pick of the Warriors in the 2021 NBA Draft.
The Congolese star found himself in an awkward spot, as the Warriors have no time to cultivate youth development after eventually winning the 2022 NBA title. With Stephen Curry leading the way, the Dubs have focused on winning and maximizing their championship window.
Kuminga struggled in adjusting his game and couldn't gain fair play as a developing prospect. While he has been productive and talented enough, his growth and numbers have become stagnant.
From obtaining DNPs since last year and demanding himself to leave, Kuminga will finally have a chance to play outside Golden State and potentially take the next step in his career in his new chapter with the Hawks.
And for the Warriors, the trade gave them a significant boost to sign free agents next offseason with Porzingis' expiring contract.
"I think it's as simple as that. Everybody liked him. I liked him. He's a really good guy. Very personable. Well-liked in the locker room. Just a tough fit," Kerr added.
Thank you for reading us! We have even more content for you.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.