Steve Kerr Jonathan Kuminga Warriors vs Hawks Kuminga revenge game
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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shakes hands with Jonathan Kuminga #00 during a time of their game against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half at Chase Center on March 20, 2024 in San Francisco, California.
Jonathan Kuminga showed signs of potential with the Golden State Warriors, but his tenure with the Bay Area was consistently marred by controversy, contract disputes, and the forward’s overall dissatisfaction with his role on the team.
But now, Kuminga has been given new life, as he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks at the deadline, ending his tumultuous saga with Golden State, giving him a fresh start on a new team.
In the lead-up to the Warriors vs Hawks game on Saturday, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr spoke about his former player in Kuminga, revealing his true feelings on the 23-year-old he consistently bumped heads with.
Steve Kerr On Jonathan Kuminga Before Warriors vs Hawks Game
Steve Kerr Jonathan Kuminga revenge game Warriors vs Hawks
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: Jonathan Kuminga #1 of the Golden State Warriors sits on the the bench during their game against the New York Knicks during the second quarter at Chase Center on January 15, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
Speaking with Nick Friedell of The Athletic, Kerr said that he still wants the best for Kuminga, despite his major ups and downs during his time with the Warriors, and the constant speculation that the coach was benching the up-and-coming forward for his ‘lack of fit’ with Golden State’s current roster.
“Steve Kerr still wants Jonathan Kuminga to succeed. He always did. He believes in his talent. He still believes that talent can blossom in the NBA, but the professional relationship between the athletic 23-year-old swingman and the Golden State Warriors just didn’t work,” Friedell wrote.
Kerr coached Kuminga for the first four and a half seasons of his career. While the player always wanted a bigger role, Kerr never gave him one, which, after a lengthy contract dispute over the offseason, eventually led to him being moved at the trade deadline. Still, Kerr had only good things to say about Kuminga.
“But I can tell you that everybody likes JK. Everybody on our team wants the best for him. I want the best for him,” he said.
“I will tell you, the optimal circumstance for JK when he entered the NBA would have been to go to a bad team. Instead, he came to a championship team. But the way to develop in this league is to play 30, 35 minutes every night, make your mistakes, learn from your mistakes, grow, be able to do it out of the spotlight. And he wasn’t able to do any of those things (here), and I recognize that. That’s why I’m really hoping that the change in scenery will be what he needed.”
The Warriors ended up moving Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis. At first, it looked like a bad trade for Golden State, but in the past few weeks, it’s looked more like an even deal for both teams.
“I think the trade was a good one,” Kerr said. “Both guys are very talented. I think everything in the NBA is circumstantial. I think players need the right set of circumstances to thrive. And the trade made sense because these were not the right circumstances for JK.”
Shams Charania
BREAKING: The Golden State Warriors are trading Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis, sources tell ESPN.
Kerr added that with the Kuminga situation, ‘This is kind of how the NBA works,’ but that he still checks on the young forward’s box scores, and is still hoping for his success in the league, despite not being on the Warriors anymore.
Jonathan Kuminga With The Hawks This Season
Since the trade, Kuminga has played in just six games for Atlanta, as he’s been sidelined on multiple occasions with a knee injury that also kept him out earlier in the season with Golden State.
While he did score 44 points and recorded 16 rebounds and seven assists in his first two games with the Hawks, his performances have tailed off a bit since as he’s dealt with the knee injury.
However, according to a recent report from Jake Fischer, despite the question marks surrounding his future, it’s expected that Atlanta will sign him to a new deal this summer.
“There is mutual interest, league sources say, for the Hawks to potentially decline their 2026-27 team option on Kuminga valued at $24.3 million in order for the sides to hash out a longer-term agreement,” Fischer reported for The Stein Line.
In his six games for the Hawks, Kuminga is averaging 14.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 56.6% shooting.
Kuminga and Atlanta are set to face off against his old team in a ‘prove yourself’ game versus the Warriors on Saturday night. The forward is set to miss the team’s Friday night game against the Houston Rockets for rest, but is expected to be back on the court in his ‘revenge’ game against Golden State.
“He’s smiling. He’s playing at a high level,” former teammate Jimmy Butler said about Kuminga. “I would think that’s what everybody wants from him anyways, whether they’re in his team, or whether they’re here. They want him to be the best version of himself, I believe that.”