In what's sure to be a growing storyline post-game, head coach Steve Kerr has seemingly benched young forward Jonathan Kuminga for the Golden State Warriors' crucial regular season finale at Chase Center on Sunday afternoon.
With a win necessary to secure a top six spot otherwise the Play-In Tournament beckons, Kerr has made the shock call to sit the former seventh overall pick after a less than ideal return from a long-term ankle sprain.
Jonathan Kuminga's benching will come with huge ramifications
Having started the usual starting lineup of Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Jimmy Butler, Moses Moody and Draymond Green, Gary Payton II was first to enter instead of Kuminga halfway through the opening period.
Buddy Hield, Kevon Looney and Quinten Post also saw first-quarter minutes, meaning Kerr is likely to have shortened the rotation to nine in what is essentially a playoff game. Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported during the first-quarter that "word pregame was that Kuminga is not part of the Steve Kerr's scripted rotation."
It now remains to be seen whether that could change as the game progresses, but either way it's sure to be a major storyline regardless of whether Golden State clinch victory or not.
Gary Payton II entering the game in what recently had been Jonathan Kuminga’s first quarter rotation slot. Word pregame was that Kuminga is not a part of Steve Kerr’s scripted rotation today vs Clippers. Could change depending on how game materializes.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 13, 2025
Following a 31-game absence from a significant ankle sprain suffered in early January, Kuminga has appeared in 15 games and averaged 20.8 minutes in a bench role. He's averaged 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists during this period, but has shot just 44.1% from the floor and a paltry 17.1% from 3-point range.
The ankle injury came at the worst possible time for Kuminga who had been in career-best form over the previous five or six games, yet the 22-year-old has since struggled to re-integrate to a new team that now features a legitimate second star in Jimmy Butler.
Golden State have a decision to make on Kuminga as a restricted free agent in the offseason, with this decision from Kerr not doing much to suggest the franchise sees a long-term future for the young forward in the Bay.
There's long been speculation that Kuminga could command a deal in excess of $25 million per year, but it will be fascinating to see how prospective teams may view this decision and therefore adjust the entire market value.
Kuminga has appeared in 258 games for the Warriors since being drafted in 2021. He won a championship with the franchise in his rookie year and holds career averages of 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 50.7% shooting.