Jonathan Kuminga had a strong start to the 2025-26 NBA season. The Golden State Warriors forward began the campaign as part of Steve Kerr’s starting unit. At first glance, it appeared that Kuminga, fresh contract in hand, was finally going to be afforded the opportunity to begin building a future for himself in the Bay Area. However, those hopes were quickly dashed, and now, Kuminga is back on the outskirts.
During a recent news conference, Kerr finally addressed Kuminga’s limited playing time. He noted that he initially hoped Kuminga’s position within the starting lineup was here to stay, but ultimately had to make the changes he deemed necessary for the good of the team.
“I’m disappointed for him that things didn’t continue to go the way they did the first couple of weeks,” Kerr said. “At the same time, it was going to be tricky to start JK, Jimmy and Draymond at the two, three and four. I think anybody can see that’s a tough combination, just based on shooting. Sometimes Steph can offset every spacing obstacle in your way — he’s that good — but in the modern NBA, I think it’s tough to do that. And I think we recognize that. We gave that lineup several weeks, and eventually the weaknesses of the lineup were exposed, and that’s why we went in a different direction.”
Kuminga has not been seen in the court in the Warriors’ last 15 games. His last taste of playing time came on December 18, during the Warriors’ 99-98 loss to the Phoenix Suns. He played for nine minutes during that contest, going 1-of-5 from the field and grabbing four rebounds.
With the Feb. 5 trade deadline fast approaching, Kuminga is widely expected to find himself suiting up for a new team in the near future. And, with his current situation in Golden State, it’s clear that a move would be the best thing for him. He’s too talented to remain outside of a teams rotation, especially as he’s still young enough to be making sizeable improvements to his game.
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This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors’ Steve Kerr breaks silence on Kuminga’s lack of playing time
Reporting by Adam Taylor, Warriors Wire / Warriors Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
