Whether in 2025 or 2026, Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors appear destined to go their separate ways. The two sides are struggling to come to terms on a new contract, with the Warriors going as far as to attempt to include a team option in their latest two-year offer.
As Kuminga weighs his options outside of the Bay Area, the Warriors are now left pondering how to potentially replace his scoring—leaving journeyman Buddy Hield to provide stability.
Kuminga has his share of flaws, but his impact as a scorer shouldn't be downplayed. He's averaged 15.8 points per game and 22.2 points per 36 minutes over the past two seasons, and posted 26.3 points per contest between the Warriors' final three outings of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Unfortunately, Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of ESPN recently reported that Kuminga is willing to go as far as accepting his qualifying offer to ensure his future is spent away from the Warriors.
"That negotiation haggle is another example of the ongoing tug-of-war for control of Kuminga's future. It's why, despite the short- and long-term financial risk, Kuminga is expressing a willingness to potentially take the qualifying offer. He would be declining nearly $14 million extra next season but would give himself an implied no-trade clause and a shot at unrestricted free agency next summer at 23 years old."
If Kuminga is as determined to play for another team as he seems, then replacing his production will be an immediate priority—and Hield is the best candidate to do so.
Buddy Hield can save Warriors from early stages of Jonathan Kuminga disaster
Hield is preparing for his second season with the Warriors, which offers a degree of stability along the wings. He's a nine-year veteran who's on his fifth team, however, and has played for four franchises since 2022.
An elite shooter who has missed just five games in nine seasons, there's still something to be said for what Hield is capable of bringing to the table.
Hield boasts career averages of 15.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 3.0 three-point field goals made on .433/.397/.828 shooting. He struggled by his own standards in 2024-25, posting a slash line of .417/.370/.828, but he showed flashes of the player the Warriors need him to be during the playoffs.
Hield averaged 12.5 points on 42.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc during the 2025 postseason, including 33 points in Game 7 of the Warriors' first-round win over the Houston Rockets.
In 2025-26, the Warriors will need Hield to prove that he can provide reliable contributions in his supporting role. Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry are All-NBA scorers, but at 35 and 37 respectively, it would certainly simplify matters for them if the supporting cast could pick up the slack during the regular season.
Hield is as viable an option as anyone to do exactly that, with the uncanny ability to not only shoot efficiently but put up points in a hurry.
The question mark facing Hield is simple: Is he on the decline or are the numbers misleading? He averaged 16.8 points on .458/.425/.822 shooting in 2022-23, but has seen his scoring average, field goal percentage, and three-point field goal percent decrease across each of the past two seasons.
With Kuminga seemingly on the way out, Hield will need to step up and prove that his supposed decline has yet to arrive—and that he can be a reliable source of offense in his wake.