The Golden State Warriors have hit an incredibly crucial period for the short and long-term future of their franchise, with the shackles seemingly having been released on fourth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Kuminga led the Warriors with 33 points in one of only two wins over their last nine games, leading Steve Kerr into providing the 22-year-old with more consistent opportunity including a certified starting role.
The Warriors future might be determined in the next two months
Kuminga played more than 28 minutes just once in the first 15 games of the season, yet he's since reached that mark in six of his last seven appearances. As a result the shot attempts have seen a similar spike, with Kuminga taking 15 or more in six of the last seven after doing it only once in the first 15.
The question still remains on whether this is what the Warriors envisage moving forward, or whether it's purely a showcase of Kuminga's talents to rival teams who may become interested in trading for the former seventh overall pick.
Either way we're going to get answer in the coming six weeks or so, making this period not only a big one for Kuminga but more importantly for the franchise as a whole. On Friday ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps outlined the significance of the coming weeks, with Golden State starting to move actively on the trade market.
"If the Warriors do pull off a significant deal before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, it's hard to see it not including Kuminga," Windhorst wrote. "But there's also a hope that clarity will come during this opportunity currently being afforded to him."
The key word there is clarity and whether the Warriors will ultimately find out whether Kuminga can be the star player that warrants a huge contract as a restricted free agent, or if he's someone that the franchise ultimately moves on from to acquire a better fitting piece before the deadline.
The jury is still out at this stage. Kuminga had 20-point performances against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets in his last two appearances, but they didn't come on the sort of efficiency he would like.
Ideally there's a 10-15 game sample size here that provides the Warriors with the most data possible in order to make an informed decision. Yet at the same time, there's an urgency that's starting to rise amid a 2-7 record over the last nine games and a number of holes across the roster that may only be addressed by making a notable trade.