Warriors owner Joe Lacob reportedly felt that Jonathan Kuminga was the future face of the franchise and was, at times, unwilling to trade him.
It seemed like the Golden State Warriors took forever to trade Jonathan Kuminga.
Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kuminga
MIN: 23.81
PTS: 12.1 (52.69%)
REB: 5.85
AS: 2.5
ST: 0.4
BL: 0.3
TO: 2.3
GM: 20
Since the end of last season, Kuminga had been rumored to be on the move, reportedly frustrated with his role on the team.
The breakup seemed inevitable during the offseason, as it took months before Kuminga re-signed with the Warriors as a restricted free agent amid all the trade rumors. Ultimately, at the trade deadline, he was sent to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis.
ESPN's Anthony Slater reports that the reason for this delayed breakup was Warriors owner Joe Lacob, who had a strong bond with Kuminga and believed he could become the franchise's next star.
"Above them, team owner Joe Lacob had bonded with Kuminga at a Miami dinner during the 2021 predraft process and clung to the idea that Kuminga could still become a face of the franchise's next era at several forks in the road," Slater reports.
"But Lacob was too unwilling to move off a dream that didn't fit the roster or system--one his coaching staff didn't want to execute, team sources said," he adds.
Credit AP - Scanpix
Kuminga has appeared in 20 games so far this season, averaging 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.
He signed a two-year, $48.5 million extension with the Warriors in September, which includes a team option for the second year.
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