As the Golden State Warriors have attempted to find a contractual resolution with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, it has become increasingly clear that the most likely scenario is that he is traded at some point next season.
While, given Kuminga's desire for a new destination and a longer runway, that is still probably the most suitable outcome, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area believes that Kuminga demonstrated in the playoffs that he can be a winning player: a fact that could ultimately entice the organization to figure out his fit in the rotation.
Kuminga, 22, has certainly had his ups and downs during his short tenure with the Warriors' organization. Yet, if the two parties can somehow figure this out, it is within the realm of possibility that Kuminga could be a playoff difference-maker for a team severely lacking athleticism.
Kuminga's scoring and intensity could make him a winning player
Poole, in discussing what Kuminga's potential reception by the fans will be upon his presumable return next season, also made a bold claim concerning the young forward's playoff performances, saying, "I do think that he can be a winning player and he can be one of the guys within the system... [In the playoffs, Kuminga] did his part to try to help the Warriors win a game. He guarded Anthony Edwards as well as anbody on that roster, and when the Warriors were struggling to get buckets it was Jimmy [Butler] and [Kuminga]."
Moreover, Poole goes on to argue that, in a league filled with lengthy, athletic wings, Kuminga could be a valuable asset in the short-term for which the team has no readily available replacement.
On the one hand, the issues with Kuminga's fit on the roster have been well noted since the team's acquisition of Jimmy Butler. As a player without a perimeter shot or an elite defensive game, he simply can not be played for big minutes alongside players like Butler and Draymond Green.
Yet, when circumstances get dire as a result of injury or fatigue, Kuminga could become the guy that is able to explode offensively, perhaps propelling the team toward victory more often than not if he is used in the correct role.
In the four playoff games against Minnesota in which Kuminga played more than 20 minutes, he scored 18, 30, 23, and 26 points respectively: monster output for a player that had been cut almost entirely out of the rotation just a month beforehand.
While there is still massive uncertainty surrounding what Kuminga's return will look like, Poole certainly has a point. As long as he is on the roster, the team must not give up on the prospect of him becoming a difference-maker in complement to their veteran trio.