Former NBA star DeMarcus Cousins believes the relationship between the Warriors and forward Jonathan Kuminga is at a point of no return.
But who is at fault?
The former Golden State big man singled out his ex-coach Steve Kerr for what he believes was mismanagement Kuminga’s rotation shifts at the end of the regular season and into the NBA playoffs.
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SIGN UP HERE “I think they lost Kuminga. I think Steve Kerr ruined that relationship with the DNPs,” Cousins told Chandler Parsons on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back.”
Demarcus Cousins thinks the Warriors lost Jonathan Kuminga because of Steve Kerr
— GSW Ball Report (@GSWBallReport) May 21, 2025
“I think they lost [Kuminga]. I think Steve Kerr ruined that relationship with the DNPs. We’ve seen this happen time and time again when it comes to him and dealing with young talent. He doesn’t… pic.twitter.com/b0msD8mVYD
For Golden State, a significant summer storyline is what to do with the 22-year-old forward, who, despite the DNPs, burst back onto the scene after Steph Curry sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
After failing to agree to a contract extension before the 2024-25 NBA season began, Kuminga is a restricted free agent. He can sign an offer sheet from another team, giving Golden State the right to match, or they can work out a sign-and-trade with another team.
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Regardless of how the situation pans out, Cousins doubled down by questioning Kerr’s ability to develop younger talent, pointing to the Warriors’ fallout with former first-round draft pick Jordan Poole.
The 34-year-old notices a pattern.
“We’ve seen this happen time and time again when it comes to him and dealing with young talent,” Cousins added. “He doesn't handle young talent well. He doesn’t develop young talent.
“Out of the years he’s been there, we’ve seen one guy develop under Steve Kerr, and they ran him off as well, and that was Jordan Poole, so when it comes to young talent, I just don’t think they handle it well.”
There will be no shortage of commentary on the Kuminga-Warriors saga this summer, and Cousins’ comments are the quintessential example of that.