The future of Jonathan Kuminga has again taken a stunning twist over the last week, with the young forward emerging as the biggest positive from the Golden State Warriors current second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Having found himself out of the rotation towards the end of his fourth year, Kuminga's time with the Warriors appeared all but over as he prepares to become a restricted free agent this offseason. Yet Stephen Curry's hamstring injury opened the door for the 22-year-old to take a prominent role, and he's taken advantage with a couple of big performances to increase his value at the absolute perfect time.
Steve Kerr's comments casts doubt over Jonathan Kuminga's future with the Warriors
Kuminga had 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting in Game 3, followed by another 23 points in Game 4. He was one of the primary reasons Golden State were even competitive in both home outings, particularly on Monday night where his 16 first-half points led the hosts to a two-point half-time lead.
With Curry on the sidelines, Steve Kerr and the Warriors had little choice but to cater their offense back towards one of their best natural scorers. Kuminga has thrived as a result, but concerns still exist on how he can ultimately fit with both Curry and Jimmy Butler available.
Those concerns were essentially confirmed by Kerr on Tuesday, with the head coach telling 95.7 The Game's Willard and Dibs that Kuminga "is best when he has the ball in his hands for sure."
That quote may give an indication of Kuminga's fate in free agency, with Golden State retaining the right to match any offer sheet that comes his way. If Kerr and the franchise know that the 22-year-old can't be fully maximized without the ball in his hands regularly, then they're not going to give Kuminga the sort of contract he may have thought when he reportedly turned down a $30 million per year extension prior to the season.
That's not to say the Warriors won't bring Kuminga back, but that it will have to be at a price they're comfortable with as a potential third scoring option behind Curry and Butler. For as impressive as he's been over the last three games, he's not about to seize the offense over the veteran duo and have things designed primarily for him.
The jury remains out on whether Kuminga can ultimately work with Curry and Butler, meaning his future with the Warriors is still far from certain as key decisions await in the coming weeks and months.