Steve Kerr's relationship with Jonathan Kuminga has been a talking point for years and remains so as the Golden State Warriors remain in contract negotiations with the young forward and his camp.
It's quite clear that Kerr doesn't wholly value Kuminga in terms of the style he wants to implement as a coach, but he may have to park that to one side in considering a bold lineup choice even before training camp and preseason begins.
Steve Kerr may have to consider starting Jonathan Kuminga over Draymond Green
Kerr admitted following Golden State's playoff elimination that if Kuminga is back, he would spend the start of the season trying to incorporate the 22-year-old into various lineup combinations. Part of that may require the step of starting Kuminga over veteran forward Draymond Green, something that Kerr is going to absolute hate but one that makes logical sense for a number of reasons.
Green of course did come off the bench twice last season, including in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after Kuminga had scored 33 points two nights before. The experiment was short-lived and unsurprisingly so given Kerr's faith in Green in comparison to his younger teammate.
That's what is going to make this such a wrestle for Kerr before, during and after training camp, assuming Kuminga signs a new deal and enters with the necessary level of motivation. The former seventh overall pick wants a solidified role and ideally as a starter, something that becomes far more viable with the experience, IQ and floor spacing of Al Horford next to him at center.
Starting Kuminga would be extending an olive branch to him, letting him know that he's valued and a big part of the team. Perhaps just as importantly, it might be the best way to conserve Green throughout a long regular season.
The 35-year-old has a lot of miles on the body, particularly recently where he was asked to be the starting center over the second-half of last season. Kerr and the Warriors should be looking to reduce his workload and his minutes this season, perhaps best executed by bringing him off the bench in a similar vein to Andre Iguodala a decade ago.
Green could still play 25-28 minutes and close games, but it might also allow him to enter the postseason more refreshed and in better shape than he did last season. It's not going to be an easy decision for Kerr to arrive at, yet one that could push the Warriors to a new level in their hopes of a championship in 2026.