Warriors are gifting Jonathan Kuminga the wish both sides nearly threw away

There was a time just over a month ago where Jonathan Kuminga wanted to leave the Golden State Warriors, and perhaps the front office would have been willing to part ways had any sort of reasonable sign-and-trade offer been forthcoming. 

Now, just four games into the season, that feels like a distant memory as Steve Kerr and the Warriors are granting Kuminga the sort of consistent opportunity he’s longed for since entering the league as an 18-year-old in 2021.

Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga nearly threw away current opportunity

Monday night’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies was Kuminga’s fourth-straight start, and the third time he’s played at least 31 minutes as the young forward goes from strength-to-strength following the offseason drama.

This opportunity really only came about due to Moses Moody’s minor preseason calf injury, but Kuminga has seized upon it and is in turn granting the Warriors with all the things they’ve expected, but not always got from him in past years. 

Kuminga’s improved rebounding and passing has been evident since the start of preseason, yet it went to another level on Monday in recording season-highs in rebounds (10) and assists (four). The 23-year-old was also rewarded with a season-high 25 points as well, shooting an efficient 9-of-14 from the floor and displaying the sort of dominant nature at the rim that we’ve become accustomed to.

“The way he’s rebounding, the way he’s attacking the rim, that’s what makes him special. When he’s playing to that talent, to that ability, it changes our team,” Kerr said after the game.

It’s only four games into the season and we’ve been here before, but this feels like a new, much better version of Kuminga capable of impacting the game with far more than just his scoring capability. 

Would he have got this opportunity on the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, both of who he had interest in joining if a sign-and-trade could be agreed upon? The short answer is no. Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green are the sort of star veterans who elevate their teammates, so long as those teammates are playing within the system Kerr implements. Kuminga is now earning the fruits of that, and doing so on a championship-aspiring team rather than a pair of pacific rivals who look bound for the lottery based on early season form. 

It’s wild to think both sides nearly missed the opportunity, with any talk of a mid-season trade dissipating if Kuminga continues to play at this level consistently.