SAN FRANCISCO – Almost to a man, Warriors coaches and players spent much of the 2024-25 NBA season praising Jonathan Kuminga's development and growth.
Despite being in and out of coach Steve Kerr’s rotations due to injury and scheme fit, Kuminga still managed to make a big impact and was a key reason the Warriors made it as far in the postseason as they did.
The question now is whether the Warriors deem Kuminga valuable enough to bring him back. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft is a restricted free agent now, meaning he’s free to sign with any other NBA team. Golden State can match any offer and keep him, work out a sign-and-trade with another team or let him walk away after four seasons at Chase Center.
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SIGN UP HERE Speaking to reporters a day after the Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs following their Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals, Kuminga said he hadn’t given much thought to what happens next.
“I don’t know how those things go,” Kuminga said. “I’ll learn more going through the summer. It don’t really matter. I’m going to let my agent handle things like that. I’ll just listen to what he’ll tell me.
“I just tell him to take his time. I’m going to take my time too, figure out what I’m going to do with my day because I’m bored.”
The Warriors made an earlier-than-expected departure from the postseason largely due to the hamstring injury that Stephen Curry suffered in Game 1 against the Timberwolves.
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Kuminga helped pick up the slack and averaged 24.3 points a game over the final four games of the series, a spirited run through the playoffs during which he displayed his phenomenal athleticism.
For a player whose career has been a journey through peaks and valleys, Kuminga’s postseason performances were a sharp reminder of just how meaningful he can be under the right circumstances.
“I think he’s grown a lot,” Curry said. “He’s been dealt a very tough hand, to be honest. He’s handled his business in terms of just getting better, just trying to focus on what it means to become a better version of himself and the way that he plays.
“I commend him on staying ready. Seeing what he did the last couple of games, that’s not easy to do to not know if your number is going to be called and then go out and climb that ladder at his own pace.”
Since joining the Warriors four years ago, Kuminga has been a lightning rod for debate. Supporters point to his natural and pure athleticism, while detractors will focus on his injuries and inconsistencies.
He missed 31 games this season due to an ankle injury and saw his playing time reduced when the Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler in February. Kuminga also sat out Game 5 against the Houston Rockets because of a migraine.
When he’s healthy, however, there’s no denying that Kuminga can be a steady force for the Warriors.
In 47 regular-season games with 10 starts, Kuminga was the Warriors’ fourth-leading scorer at 15.3 points a game. Curry, Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins averaged more but Curry is the only one of the three to play all season for the Warriors, like Kuminga.
As a bonus for how well we played in the postseason, Kuminga became the youngest player in franchise history to score 20 or more points in three consecutive playoff games while coming off the bench.
The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Warriors are leaning toward a sign-and-trade deal with Kuminga, although Draymond Green would prefer that the 22-year-old stay with Golden State.
“His future is bright, whether it’s here or whether it’s somewhere else,” Green said. “That type of talent usually figures it out. I think he’ll figure it out. I don’t know where that will be but wherever it’ll be, he’ll be just fine. When I look at his four years, I think he’s grown a ton.
“In this business that we’re in, there’s no way to be certain that’ll be here or somewhere else. But the beautiful thing about it is when you’re a talent like that, people usually find a way to make it work. Whether that’s the Warriors finding a way to make it work or another team finding a way to make it work, he has my utmost love and support because I want to see him do well. In an ideal world, that’ll be here.”
The Warriors had the option of extending Kuminga’s deal last season but passed on the opportunity. His price tag has risen since then and it will be interesting to see what other teams around the NBA feel his value is.
Kuminga definitely is open to returning and made it a point to mention how he and Warriors coach Steve Kerr spoke in the aftermath of Wednesday’s loss. The two didn’t always see eye-to-eye this season, especially after Kerr benched Kuminga late in the year.
“I talked to Steve about how he wanted me to get better at rebounding,” Kuminga said. “I feel like I was doing better before I got hurt. And I liked where he was going with it.”
Techniques and fundamentals will be conversations to be had down the road. For now, the only meaningful discussion between Kuminga and the Warriors will be about his future with the team.
“I’ve grown a lot,” Kuminga said. “When I look back from Day 1 when I got here compared to now, it’s a lot of things that people don’t see. Me personally. I feel like I’ve grown a lot, as a player and as a person.”
As for remaining with the Warriors, Kuminga essentially shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know. I still got to figure it out,” Kuminga said. “Just finished playing one day ago. I don’t know what the future is going to be. I still got a long summer to go to figure things out.”