Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has responded to adversity by expanding his game and contributing winning minutes. It's the outcome that everyone involved dreamed of, and while it's too soon to claim it'll last, the early signs are promising.
In the process, Kuminga is flipping the script on the Warriors' outlook on not just his future with the team, but how far the current core is capable of going.
The quiet fear permeating the Warriors' fandom and organization was that a tumultuous summer would prove to be a distraction for Kuminga when he should've been working on his game. Rather than improving entering his fifth season, he'd thus take a step back.
Perhaps there's still time for that outcome to reveal itself, but the early return on the Warriors' investment has been nothing short of captivating.
Kuminga has taken a clear step forward as a playmaker, recording at least four assists in three of his four preseason games and dishing out nine between his first two regular season outings of 2025-26. He's also pulled down 14 rebounds and buried five three-point field goals during the latter two showings.
More importantly, Kuminga has played 33 and 36 minutes during the regular season—a clear sign that head coach Steve Kerr is finally trusting the 23-year-old to contribute positively down the stretch.
Jonathan Kuminga is playing to win, not just to boost his trade value
Subtract Kuminga from the rotation and there's a glaring lack of size, athleticism, and offensive versatility at the forward positions. Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green are stars who'd argue otherwise, but they're also both over 35 years of age and in need of support.
There's upside to explore on the roster, but after the trio of Butler, Green, and Kuminga, the only other forwards are relatively unproven commodities in Jackson Rowe, Gui Santos, and Alex Toohey.
That alone emphasizes how important it was for the Warriors to either re-sign or trade Kuminga for an ideal replacement. Golden State could flex guards up to the 3 spot, and they'll likely continue to do so with the likes of Buddy Hield and Mose Moody, but that's more of a situational tactic than a permanent solution to an unavoidable issue.
With Kuminga in the lineup, however, the Warriors have a constant athletic threat who can attack the basket, offer versatility on defense, and push the pace in transition.
It's a luxury Kerr clearly isn't taking for granted after keeping Kuminga on the court during close wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. He played the final 7:50 of the 10-point win over Los Angeles and was present for all but 4.3 seconds of the final 7:53 of the fourth quarter against Denver.
Kuminga then played the entire overtime period during the Warriors' 137-131 win over the Nuggets, perhaps offering the strongest confirmation yet of Kerr's restored faith in him.
Jonathan Kuminga has seemingly earned Steve Kerr's trust
As far as the specifics of what Kuminga has brought to the table are, it's been a surprisingly well-rounded story. He's third on the Warriors in drives behind Butler and Stephen Curry, shooting 80.0 percent on the 6.5 per game that he's averaged thus far.
Kuminga has also completed the fourth-most passes on the Warriors and averaged 6.5 potential assists through two games—up from 4.5 in 2024-25.
Kuminga has also been far more decisive with the ball, averaging 2.60 seconds per touch compared to the 3.24 he tallied in 2024-25. It's clearly far too soon to read into any statistical changes, but there's a clear shift in mentality worth discussing.
Kuminga isn't just on the court to pad his statistics and increase his trade value, but is instead buying into what the Warriors need him to do to optimize their chances of winning.
That was evident on opening night, when Kuminga spent a lion's share of the game defending Luka Doncic. He also played significant minutes guarding Aaron Gordon, Nikola Jokic, and Jamal Murray when Golden State played Denver, thus displaying a willingness to take on the best that an opposing team has to offer.
If the first two games of the season are a sign of things to come, then Kuminga is well on his way to turning in the type of season the Warriors desperately need of him—thus elevating the team entirely.