The Golden State Warriors have been trying to retain a harmonious relationship with Jonathan Kuminga, both to get effective impact from the young forward right now and to preserve his trade value with the hope of a dream deal mid-season.
So when reports of frustration or discontent from Kuminga surfaces, it automatically puts a hurdle in front of Golden State's hopes of building another championship-level squad -- whether that stems from the 23-year-old's own development, or moving him for a more viable rotation piece.
Jonathan Kuminga reportedly felt like the scapegoat in recent benching
We're still less than one month through the new NBA season, yet we've managed to have the entire Kuminga experience that essentially encapsulates his career with the franchise after being drafted with the seventh overall pick in 2021.
According to ESPN's Anthony Slater in a major report on Thursday, Kuminga felt like the scapegoat in his recent benching against the San Antonio Spurs last week which followed five losses in Golden State's previous seven games.
We can argue all day about the legitimacy of Kuminga's reported feelings. Did he rightly feel slighted given Steve Kerr had labelled him an entrenched starter less than two weeks earlier, or was this an obvious decision given the team's losing period had coincided with a rebirth of the same shot-selection and decision-making issues that plagued Kuminga through his first four years?
Whichever side of the fence you sit on, we can all agree that this 'scapegoat' report isn't good for anyone involved. The Warriors want to be in a position mid-season where they have the optionality to either keep or trade Kuminga, rather than feel like they have to move him because of the distractions and locker room issues that could stem from such 'scapegoat' reports.
How are Golden State going to get reasonable value for Kuminga at the trade table if rival teams can point to his frustration and awkward fit? We already saw in the offseason that the sign-and-trade offers that came from the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns were almost more about taking Kuminga off the Warriors' hands, rather than giving up something Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office would actually want.
And if you're Kuminga and the ultimate goal is to be on a different team by the mid-season deadline, the best way to achieve that is to build your trade value by playing well on the court and avoiding these type of reports that seemingly question your happiness.
The Warriors continue to be in a delicate situation with Kuminga, something that was almost inevitable from the moment he signed the two-year, $48 million contract after a highly publicized and elongated free agency process.