Thanks to the efforts of Jonathan Kuminga during an unceremonious postseason elimination, the Golden State Warriors enter the offseason with at least as many questions as they have answers.
Anthony Slater of the Athletic detailed the mess of how the Dubs could approach Kuminga’s future this summer as they navigate his restricted free agency. As a result of three competing schools of thought, there’s no easy solution. It’s not clear what the organization will do, but what is clear is what’s been said about Kuminga entering this pivotal offseason, which could provide a window into the end result of this contract saga.
The most favorable commentary has come courtesy of owner Joe Lacob, who ultimately does have final say on everything the team does. Speaking with the Athletic after their second-round elimination to the Minnesota Timberwolves, he gave anecdotal evidence of Kuminga’s talents.
“I was listening to the guys behind me tonight give running commentary — T’Wolves fans,” Lacob said. “(Kuminga)’s the guy they talked about all night long. He’s the only guy that could really guard (Anthony Edwards) out there. Did a pretty damn good job. He had a tough situation with the DNPs from the last series, and to bounce back from that, I give him a lot of credit. I’m a big fan of his.”
The support continued during the Golden State Valkyries’ home opener, when Kuminga was spotted sitting right next to the owner in courtside seats. When the Valkyries showed Kuminga on the jumbotron during the game, he pulled Lacob into the shot with him as both laughed.
By comparison, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. — the man who will make the decision of whether to bring Kuminga back via free agency — was less effusive with his praise, though the compliments were still there. He highlighted elements of his game that were “things we greatly need,” and noted that the team could “work with him better” in the future. Still, there was hardly a guarantee that Kuminga would be with Golden State next season.
“For that reason, we’ll try to bring him back, but you’ve got to have those conversations,” Dunleavy said, referencing Kuminga’s skillset. “You’ve got to figure it out. It’s a two-way street in terms of creating — getting a new contract and all of that. So, we’ll see where it goes.”
Part of the “conversations” is how the Dubs will approach offseason acquisitions. Dunleavy did later say in his presser that the team is “good giving up whatever it takes” to improve the roster, even if he did later outline the risks of “mortgaging the future.” Another part is what Kuminga wants his role to be under a new deal.
There’s at least some clarity on what head coach Steve Kerr wants the young player’s role to be. In a recent interview, Kerr envisioned Kuminga’s archetype to be Shawn Marion or Aaron Gordon. Unfortunately, Slater’s story published on Thursday notes that Kuminga wants to be “a featured player in an NBA offense.” That goal could hit a snag given Kerr’s most recent comments about the player.
“I’ve been asked to win, and right now, he’s not a guy who I can say I’m gonna play 38 minutes with the roster that we have — Steph [Curry], and Jimmy [Butler], and Draymond [Green] — and put the puzzle together that way and expect to win,” Kerr said. “Doesn’t mean he’s not a really good player. Doesn’t mean he’s not talented. It just means with the fit and with the roster we have, it is tricky, there’s no question.”
For what it’s worth, Kerr did say in his exit interview that if Kuminga came back, the team would “spend the early part of the season playing him with Jimmy, Draymond, Steph,” to try and make that rotation work, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll have much patience for the experiment given the aforementioned quote.
What could help is a co-sign from Curry, but when asked in his exit interview about his “big picture” perspective of Kuminga’s time with the Dubs, the Warriors’ elder statesman just talked about the adversity the young player has faced.
“He’s trying to focus on what it means to become a better version of himself and the way that he plays and the fact that he’s had playing time, and hadn’t, and been in the rotation, and hadn’t, that’s tough for any player,” Curry said. “… Hope the future is bright for him, whether it’s here, or it’s wherever, knowing that he’s a guy in this league that can continue to climb that ladder in his own pace. He’s gone through a lot that most people haven’t in four years, and seen a lot, so hopefully he’s better because of it.”
Whether that better version is in a Dubs jersey next season will be the big question for at least the next month, when free agency negotiations officially begin on June 30.
