Warriors provide ambiguous injury update on budding star

There's a sense of excitement around the Golden State Warriors coming out of the All-Star break, with an air of expectation following the blockbuster acquisition of Jimmy Butler just before the trade deadline.

The optimism doesn't just sit with the 6x All-Star though as the Warriors plot a surge up the Western Conference standings. Rising star Jonathan Kuminga is also expected to return imminently from injury, having suffered a significant ankle sprain against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 4.

The Warriors have delivered an update on Jonathan Kuminga

Unfortunately for Golden State fans, the latest update on Kuminga still doesn't particularly provide a timeline on when we can expect to see the former seventh overall pick back on the floor.

According to the franchise in a release on Wednesday, Kuminga has returned to team practice for the first time since the injury, but will have to continue ramping up his progress before a return date is set in place.

While it's good news that Kuminga is ramping up his return by joining back in with practice, this update would seem to suggest that there's still some hurdles to jump over before his highly-anticipated return.

Kuminga has missed the last 21 games since the untimely injury which came amid arguably a career-best stretch for the fourth-year forward. He had averaged nearly 25 points and eight rebounds in the six previous games before the injury, having settled into a sixth man role playing over 30 minutes per game.

Kuminga's cohesion with the newly-acquired Butler is also of fascinating interest to Warrior fans, with the 35-year-old veteran seen by many as the perfect mentor for his young teammate given their similar skillsets as interior and mid-range scorers.

With Steve Kerr having started Draymond Green as a small-ball five in two of the last three games prior to the All-Star break, there's also a thought that Kuminga could re-enter the starting lineup following his return and once an expected minutes restriction is lifted.

While Golden State now have a new star pairing with Butler and 2x MVP Stephen Curry, Kuminga is still viewed by many as the X-factor that could be the difference in the franchise making a deep playoff push.

A successful return is also vitally important for Kuminga from an individual standpoint, with the 6'7" forward headed for restricted free agency this offseason where he could command over $30 million per year.