Jonathan Kuminga's career at the Golden State Warriors has seemingly been over for weeks, but perhaps there's another shock twist in store after Jimmy Butler's devastating season-ending knee injury on Monday night.
Kuminga, alongside veteran Buddy Hield, helped Butler back to the locker room after the 6x All-Star landed awkwarly during the third-quarter. He may not have been thinking it at the time, but surely Kuminga must be sitting back now wondering how this could impact his future over the next two weeks.
Jonathan Kuminga's fate thrown into chaos by Jimmy Butler injury
The young forward officially became trade eligible last Thursday, with a move between now and the deadline previously being seen as a fait accompli. However, in the wake of Butler's injury, fans are already speculating on the prospect of Kuminga actually remaining with the Warriors for the rest of the season.
There's still a strong chance that the relationship is simply too far gone for things to be salvaged, and that Kuminga will still be on his way -- albeit perhaps for a different type of trade package that otherwise may have been forthcoming if this Butler injury didn't happen.
As much as Butler has been a great mentor for Kuminga since his arrival last February, there's also no doubt the veteran's presence played a big role in Steve Kerr going away from the former seventh overall pick. Kuminga wants the ball in his hands to be a dominant scorer, and he was never going to get that opportunity when Butler does much of the same stuff at a far higher level.
Say what you want about Kuminga and his flaws, but the Warriors could actually do with him now much in the same way as they needed him when Stephen Curry went down with a hamstring injury in last year's playoffs.
Podziemski and Spencer are both talking to Kuminga during the timeout. He might be needed -- tonight and longer if Butler's out for a while.
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) January 20, 2026
While Golden State will still push for a playoff spot, winning already seems a little less important in the aftermath of Butler's injury. How can the Warriors possibly compete for a title with their second-best player on the sidelines?
Combine this with Steve Kerr being in the final year of his contract, and suddenly the door is slightly ajar for Kuminga to still have a future with the franchise (as unlikely as it still may be). When asked on Monday whether he could go to Kuminga in the wake of Butler's injury, Kerr replied, “Sure, absolutely.”
The Warriors take on the Toronto Raptors in the second night of a back-to-back on Tuesday, giving us the first real opportunity to see if Butler's injury plays a major role on Kuminga and his fate with the franchise.