Warriors coach Steve Kerr respectfully admitted on Friday that he understands if Jonathan Kuminga has thoughts about leaving Golden State amid concerns regarding the forward’s fit with the team when talking to 95.7 The Game’s “Willard and Dibs.”
“I think the No. 1 thing is that JK and I have a very good relationship – we talk all the time, we like each other,” Kerr told Mark Willard and Dan Dibley. “This is all just basketball. This is not a case of JK coming in and saying, ‘Hey, I got to get out of here; I want this, I want that.’ This is just trying to make this fit and trying to make this work. Every young player – even older guys – wants to fit in well with what’s happening.
“There’s got to be part of JK that thinks about going elsewhere, would he get more of an opportunity – those are all very normal human emotions to think about.”
Kuminga, who made 30.5 percent of 3-point attempts during the 2024-25 NBA season, often isn’t the most ideal fit in Kerr’s lineups due to his lackluster jumper.
The 6-foot-8 forward scores the majority of his 15.3 points per game within the arc, making it hard for Kerr to play him in lineups that feature other not-great shooters, such as Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, two rotational cornerstones.
Though Kerr is excited to have a training camp dedicated to addressing issues such as spacing among Kuminga, Butler and Green, granted the 22-year-old restricted free agent remains in the Bay.
“100 percent, I’m going to give that time next year. Assuming JK comes back, I will explore that right from the beginning,” Kerr told Willard and Dibley. “We didn’t have that luxury this year, you know? Jimmy arrived and JK got hurt, almost at the exact same time. From the time Jimmy arrived, we were basically in the playoffs – every game was huge for us.
“While JK was out, as I explained many times, we got really good. We got really good with Jimmy on the floor and JK injured. And we had to continue down that path and keep trying to win every game just to make the playoffs. Next year, with a training camp and an 82-game season, absolutely, I will give that lots of time and try to make that fit as best as possible.”
The Warriors, of course, won 23 of 30 games to end the regular season after acquiring Butler in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Heat on Feb. 5. At the same time, Kuminga was in the middle of a 31-game absence due to an ankle injury.
Virtually none of Kuminga, Kerr and Dub Nation loved the forward’s fit on Golden State this season. But the Warriors coach is hopeful that a thorough training camp and improved chemistry can revive the Kuminga era.
The Warriors’ organizational approach drastically changes if Kuminga’s full potential is unlocked by the team that selected him No. 7 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.
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