Given the up-and-down nature of his time with the Golden State Warriors to date, everyone should have seen another twist coming in the Jonathan Kuminga saga before he is prseumably traded before the mid-season deadline.
That twist is now potentially around the corner. Rather than simply leave him out the rotation until a trade takes place, head coach Steve Kerr has seemingly announced that Kuminga will return to the floor against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
Jonathan Kuminga is set for a return to Warriors rotation
After some underwhelming form following a return from injury, Kuminga has seen three-straight DNPs in a further indication that he's on borrowed time with Golden State. However, back-to-back disappointing losses against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns has forced another re-think among Kerr and the coaching staff, leaving the young forward back in the rotation mix.
Kuminga's exodus is set to finish at three games, with Kerr revealing on Wednesday that the former seventh overall pick has "been working really hard and I'm going to reward that."
Warriors practiced again today at Chase Center before their flight to Phoenix. Afterward, head coach Steve Kerr said Jonathan Kuminga, out of the rotation the last three games, has “been working really hard and I’m going to reward that. I mean, he needs to be back out there.”
— Sam Gordon (@BySamGordon) December 17, 2025
While we can only take Kerr on his words and face value, one has to wonder whether or not there has been any pressure from above to bring Kuminga back into the fold. Owner Joe Lacob is a noted fan of the 23-year-old, while the job of general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. clearly isn't being aided by Kuminga's time out of the rotation as he explores potential deals over the next six weeks.
Kerr stated on Tuesday that Lacob has never directed him who to play, but the head coach would know better than any other the kind of complications surrounding Kuminga and what could be in store before the mid-season deadline.
As detailed here earlier in the week, it only makes sense for Kuminga to be out of the rotation if it's leading to better and winning basketball. That simply hasn't been the case over the last two games, making this imminent return not all that surprising even if there remains a likelihood Kuminga is off the team altogether sooner rather than later.
It will now be interesting to see whether Kuminga still holds enough confidence to play freely and in a manner that allows him impact the game. He often looked less aggressive in the time between his return from injury and these latest DNPs, while there's clearly been times throughout his career where he's had to fight against his natural instincts in order to play in the manner Kerr and the Warriors have asked of him.