The Warriors are at a bit of a crossroads. They made a big swing with a mid-season Jimmy Butler trade, but still roster multiple young players who may not be ready to help a championship team. One of those players is Jonathan Kuminga. Ever since the Warriors drafted him, there have been Kuminga trade rumors popping up.
There is no denying that Kuminga has shown flashes of greatness. The problem is, his basketball IQ and playing style don’t seem to be where Steve Kerr and the Warriors coaching staff would like them to be.
This has caused Kuminga to find himself in and out of the Warriors' lineup. He was even benched in key games towards the end of the 2024-25 season, further sparking Kuminga trade rumors this offseason.
The relationship between Kerr and Kuminga has definitely gone through some rough patches. This has led some to believe that the Warriors won’t be able to patch the relationship with Kuminga and that he will try to leave the team this offseason.
Demarcus Cousins, a former Warriors center under Steve Kerr, recently spoke about the Kerr-Kuminga relationship on FanDuel’s Run it Back.
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“I think they lost (Kuminga)," Cousins said Tuesday. "I think Steve Kerr ruined that relationship with the DNPs. We’ve seen this happen time and time again when it comes to him and dealing with young talent. He doesn’t develop young talent. Out of the years he’s been there, we’ve seen one guy develop under Steve Kerr, and they ran him off as well, and that was Jordan Poole, so when it comes to young talent, I just don’t think they handle it well.”
Cousins certainly has a point. Kerr has been much better at managing star and veteran personalities than developing young talent.
Still, the Warriors are in a tough place. They need youth, athleticism, and scoring, all things Kuminga theoretically brings to the table.
Since Kuminga is a restricted free agent, they will be the ones determining whether they keep him or try and send him off in a sign-and-trade.
Time will tell if Kuminga trade rumors continue to grow, or if the Warriors will give him the contract this offseason that he is hoping for.
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