While there's a distinct chance that he's already played his last game with the Golden State Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga was still a notable presence at the Golden State Valkyries home opener at Chase Center on Friday.
Kuminga was one of a number of Warrior members in attendance, including head coach Steve Kerr, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield and unrestricted free agent Kevon Looney. However, it was Kuminga's seating next to owner Joe Lacob that raised eyebrows, and is certainly hard to ignore as the 22-year-old prepares to hit restricted free agency.
Joe Lacob is a self-confessed big fan of Jonathan Kuminga
While it appears some within the organization are ready to move on from Kuminga, Lacob is undoubtedly a big factor in the future of the former seventh overall pick. It's been known for a long time that Lacob is a big Kuminga fan, something the man himself recently admitted in an interview with The Athletic's Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II after Golden State were eliminated from the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"He’s the only guy that could really guard (Anthony Edwards) out there. Did a pretty damn good job," Lacob said of Kuminga. "He had a tough situation with the DNPs from the last series, and to bounce back from that, I give him a lot of credit. I’m a big fan of his.”
Fans were also intrigued by an interaction between Kuminga and Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, with the pair greeting each other with a handshake and hug on the court. While the Warriors prepare to deal with Kuminga's future, the Bucks may be about to start an even bigger and more complicated scenario with 2x MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It's been reported previously that Antetokounmpo has been a dream target of Lacob's over recent years. While it's unlikely that Golden State will have enough assets to acquire Antetokounmpo if he becomes available, any potential offer could involve some type of Kuminga sign-and-trade.
What this actually means remains to be seen, but there's little doubt Lacob knew what he was doing and that placing himself next to Kuminga court-side was some sort of statement. Slater and Thompson, along with ESPN's Shams Charania, have reported that the Warriors and Kuminga will explore sign-and-trade options, yet Lacob would also have a vision of the young forward still playing at Chase Center for the next decade or longer.
Kuminga's four years with the Warriors have been characterized by ups-and-downs and inconsistency, but he did end the season in positive fashion individually as he led the team in scoring over the final four playoff games in Stephen Curry's absence.