Jonathan Kuminga is nearing a return to the Golden State Warriors, having now missed 25-straight games following a significant ankle injury against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 4.
The fourth-year forward will have no shortage of motivation upon returning to the team, with the Warriors still surging towards the playoffs following Thursday's comeback victory over the Orlando Magic at Kia Center.
Kuminga will also have the motivation of his impending restricted free agency, having failed to come to an extension with the Warriors prior to the season. The former seventh overall pick could command more than $30 million per year this offseason, but that may well be determined by what happens for him and the team over the next few months.
Jonathan Kuminga was left off FansSided's top 99 NBA rankings
If Kuminga needed anymore motivation ahead of his expected return over the next few days, he may have found it in the fact he was left off FanSided's top 99 power rankings released earlier in the week.
Perhaps that's expected given the long absence Kuminga has experienced, but it's also undeniable that he looked every bit a future star and an obvious top 99 player in the games prior to injury. Kuminga was averaging nearly 25 points and eight rebounds in six games over late December/early January, and was in the process of another leap towards the sort of player Golden State fans have long envisioned.
Kuminga's championship teammate Jordan Poole sits 99th in the rankings, while another former teammate -- Chris Paul -- sits 98th. The likes of Geurschon Yabusele, Christian Braun, Aaron Wiggins and Daniel Gafford are all ranked in the 90's, with a healthy Kuminga surely above that quartet and more.
For Golden State and Kuminga's sake, the 22-year-old would quickly want to prove those rankings wrong once he returns from injury. The Warriors won't want to give $30+ million to a player not inside the top 50, let alone someone who may not be in the top 100.
Kuminga's free agency has only drew more attention since Golden State gave Jimmy Butler a two-year, $112 million extension upon his arrival via trade, though the front office appear willing to go back deep into the tax if the team warrants it.
The Warriors had three players inside FanSided's top 99 -- Stephen Curry was ranked 10th but went a way to disprove that with 56 points on Thursday against the Magic, while Butler (31) and Draymond Green (66) each sat inside the top 70.