Jimmy Butler will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season after suffering a torn ACL. It's a devastating turn of events for a Golden State Warriors side that was banking on Butler, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green being able to lead a championship push.
As the Warriors search for ways to prevent the 2025-26 campaign from becoming a lost season, Jonathan Kuminga must return to the starting lineup—in a prominent role.
Kuminga has been at the heart of one of the most polarizing sagas in recent Warriors history. From a top-10 pick who won a title as a rookie to a reluctant restricted free agency returnee who has been phased out of Steve Kerr's rotation, it appeared as though his career was destined to continue elsewhere.
That may still be the case, but the Warriors desperately need help on the offensive end of the floor with Butler sidelined. Thankfully, Kuminga is the perfect player to answer the call.
Kuminga proved as much during the Warriors' first game without Butler. He posted 20 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and getting to the charity stripe for eight free throw attempts.
Though it's entirely possible that he'll be traded ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, the Warriors would be wise to let Kuminga tap into his potential until then.
Warriors need to give Jonathan Kuminga the green light as a starter
Simply adding Kuminga back to the starting lineup could help replenish his trade value. That's particularly important after general manager Mike Dunleavy made public comments that certainly seemed to imply there isn't much demand for Kuminga's talents.
The next step that the Warriors must take, however, is going all in on his ability as a scorer by empowering him to play his preferred style.
Kuminga isn't a spot-up shooter or an off-ball player who can get into a rhythm without receiving touches. He's a scorer through and through, with the need for a reasonable amount of volume to bring the best out of him as a player.
With a career average of 20.3 points per 36 minutes on 50.3 percent shooting from the field, Kuminga has undoubtedly proven his quality in that regard.
By finally giving Kuminga the green light as a scorer, the Warriors can check two essential boxes. One would be filling the void left behind by Butler for a tall perimeter scorer who can get to the rim. The other would be giving rival executives a final look at who they could be trading for.
Kuminga has remained professional during this trying time. The Warriors must now reward him for how he's handled adversity by giving him what they should've all along.