After coming off the bench for most of November, forward Jonathan Kuminga has started four of the last five games for the Golden State Warriors. And on Friday, the 22-year-old got the nod over Draymond Green to open a back-to-back series with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
While Kuminga has received praise for his performance in a larger role for the Warriors, some have wondered why the former No. 7 overall pick didn't get back into the starting five sooner.
That includes three-time NBA champion Danny Green, who believes Golden State may have had ulterior motives in keeping Kuminga in the second unit.
During a Monday appearance on FanDuelTV's "Run It Back," Green opined that the Warriors may have been working to keep Kuminga's price tag lower.
"I'm surprised that, I mean, he didn't start out this way to begin with. I don't know why he was coming off the bench. Like, he was their franchise guy. In my mind, I thought they were trying to keep him at a cheaper cost, if that makes sense," Green said.
"Obviously, he was looking for an extension; a bigger one than he expected they were going to offer - looking for the max extension. And when you see a guy like that go to the bench and not play as many minutes, you're like, 'Alright, they're trying ... to not let him be seen as much."
Kuminga and the Warriors failed to come to terms on a rookie contract extension prior to the Oct. 21 deadline. As a result, Kuminga is slated to be a restricted free agent this summer.
According to a report from The Athletic's Anthony Slater, the Warriors had hoped to re-up with Kuminga on a deal paying roughly $30 million per year, while Kuminga sought something closer to $35 million per annum.
This much is certain - Kuminga continues to show flashes of stardom. In 21 games this season, he's averaging 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in just 24.5 minutes per contest.
