The contrast between who Jonathan Kuminga wants to be, and what the Golden State Warriors want him to be has long been a topic of discussion, with that only heightening now as the young forward prepares to enter restricted free agency.
Kuminga still has eyes on becoming a star, which may actually remain a realistic goal based on the final four games of the Warriors' playoff run. On the other hand, Steve Kerr and the franchise want the 22-year-old to lean more into the role player aspects that could be so valuable alongside Stephen Curry and Golden State's veteran core.
It's astonishing that we've reached this point where this contrast still exists, and that player and franchise haven't either found a common ground beforehand, or that there hasn't been a Kuminga trade at some point in the last couple years.
Steve Kerr has admitted there's a "different view" between the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga
Head coach Steve Kerr has been candid in regard to Kuminga since their season ended, having now brutally admitted that there is indeed a disparity between how player and coaching staff want the 22-year-old to be playing.
"I don't think there's a disagreement. I think that there is maybe a different view, from his perspective and what he's comfortable doing," Kerr told 95.7 The Game's Willard and Dibs on Thursday.
This is the exact problem the Warriors face in their decision-making on Kuminga's future this offseason. How can they justify bringing him back on a $20+ million deal when this contrasts still exists?
You need synergy across the board to win a championship, with that becoming all the more important when discussing a head coach and someone who could become the third or fourth-highest paid player on the team.
While Kerr maintained that he has a good relationship with Kuminga, he also admitted that "there’s got to be part of JK that thinks about going elsewhere." That's an interesting comment to make, and is perhaps one that wouldn't be made about a player he desperately wanted to keep.
Kuminga's role on the Warriors has always been a talking point, with Kerr recently suggesting that he could try and emulate the likes of Aaron Gordon or Shawn Marion during a recent interview with Tim Kawakami on The TK Show.
The former seventh overall pick averaged 24.3 points on over 55% shooting in the last four games of the second-round, but that only came after Curry's hamstring injury as questions remain on Kuminga's fit with the 2x MVP.