As the Golden State Warriors enter their offseason, one of their primary objectives, the re-signing or trading of Jonathan Kuminga, has crystallized.
Following Kuminga's dynamic return to the rotation in the second round of the playoffs, in which he averaged 20.8 points on 27.4 minutes a game, the buzz around him as he enters restricted free agency has been revived. If the Warriors intend to retain the potent young forward, they must determine whether they believe in his ability to fit on the roster.
While recent comments by head coach Steve Kerr and veteran forward Draymond Green indicate that there is some faith around the organization in his return, it could be too little too late to salvage Kuminga's relationship with the team.
Steve Kerr and Draymond Green believe in Jonathan Kuminga
In a recent press conference recapping the season, Kerr was asked about Kuminga's fit with Golden State were he to re-sign with the team.
In response, Kerr expressed an interest in working out Kuminga's fit within the team's starting lineup, saying, "If [Jonathan Kuminga] comes back, we will for sure spend the early part of the season playing him with Jimmy, Draymond, Steph. To me that would be a no brainer. We didn't have that luxury this year.. We've basically been in the playoffs since the minute we got Jimmy and that was also when JK got hurt."
Kuminga, who missed multiple months of the season with an ankle sprain he suffered in January, struggled to fit in with the team's new offensive structure when he returned. When he was on the floor with Jimmy Butler, the duo posted a net rating of -6.1 relative to the rest of the team, and Kuminga struggled play into the new types of spacing created by Butler's presence.
Yet, given Kuminga's ability to cut to the rim and attack aggressively, he could be a major boon to a starting rotation that often failed to do that effectively. Kerr's apparent willingness to the waters with this combination could entice Kuminga to stay with the organization.
Moreover, Green expressed faith in Kuminga in a recent edition of his podcast, saying "Whether it's her or somewhere else, he's going to get paid, and he's going to have a very bright future."
Throughout the years, Curry and Green's pull within the organization has become obvious, and, if they believe that Kuminga could make a difference in their quest for a championship, it could entice the front office to make a push at retaining the young forward.
Yet, over the first four years of his career, Kuminga's relationships with the front office and Kerr have become very publicly strained, with Kuminga feeling that he has been restricted to a role that does not showcase his talents.
Moreover, his benching during Golden State's final regular season game and play-in matchup showed a severe lack of confidence in Kuminga's ability to adapt to the needs of the team.
Now, as the Warriors decide whether he will stay with the organization, these comments could be too belated to convince either side that Kuminga should remain in The Bay.