Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
As the “blame game” heats up over the impending divorce between the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga, a new report from NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole suggests that Jimmy Butler III also faces culpability.
The report highlighted how Butler’s arrival rendered Kuminga obsolete, resulting in a reduction in playing time and a falling out with the head coach, Steve Kerr.
“The case for keeping Kuminga on the roster was considerably weakened on the afternoon of Feb. 6 when Butler was acquired in a trade with the Miami Heat,” Poole wrote on August 27, analyzing the “blame game” in the Kuminga-Warriors stalemate.
“With the Warriors going in circles with or without Kuminga, [Mike] Dunleavy gambled on Butler and hoped the move would put the squad back into the NBA playoff picture. It did. The Warriors, 25-26 before Butler’s debut, won 14 of 16 games immediately after Butler joined the roster. Over the final 31 regular-season games, they were 23-8 – third-best record in the league – with a core of Stephen Cury, Draymond Green and Butler.”
Warriors Won Without Kuminga
Poole highlighted that the Warriors were 13-2 with Butler and Curry, while Kuminga was inactive with a right ankle sprain. When the Congolese forward returned from his injury, he was no longer utilized in the same way as he was earlier in the season.
One anonymous NBA exec compared the situation to that of a young Paul George joining an Indiana Pacers team with a slew of veteran swingmen on the roster.
“One guy that was put in a similar situation is Paul George when he got to Indiana,” the exec told NBC Sports Bay Area. “When he got there, they were right on the cusp. Danny Granger was playing in front of him, and Lance Stephenson was there. And eventually, he was able to play with that David West group; they were competing for championships.
“But it was like the perfect setup for Paul. They weren’t a big-market team, but they were a good team. He got a chance to grow while they were trying to win. And a lot of his mistakes weren’t as magnified as Kuminga’s have been because of the team he is on.”
Butler Disagreed with Steve Kerr
During the 2024-25 season, Kerr repeatedly stated that Butler’s presence on the court had affected Kuminga’s playing time, citing the similarities in their games. Much like Butler, Kuminga is a slasher/driver of the basketball, and doesn’t thrive as a catch-and-shoot threat or long-range shooter.
However, Butler disagreed with his head coach’s take after he and Kuminga combined for 63 points in Game 3 of their playoff series against the Timberwolves.
“Like I tell everybody, me and him can thrive together,” Butler said of Kuminga.
“I know how to space the floor. I can tell him, ‘Hey, when I have the ball, you go here, and you do this.’ We talk, we listen to one another, and then he has an incredible game like [Saturday]. He did so many good things out there on the floor.”
Kuminga received playing time in the playoffs only after Stephen Curry went down with a hamstring injury. The fifth-year forward received three DNPs in the first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
With Kuminga widely expected to accept his qualifying offer, Kerr will have no choice but to adjust his schemes to fit both players into certain lineups.