Jonathan Kuminga might actually be back with the Golden State Warriors for next season.
Kuminga is a restricted free agent since the Warriors extended him a qualifying offer. Going back to May, when the Warriors were eliminated from the playoffs by the Timberwolves, some Golden State star players did not express confidence in Kuminga returning to the team. However, things may have changed.
Clutch Points’ Brett Siegel reported in a column over the weekend that Kuminga returning to the Warriors seems “likely.” A market for him in a sign-and-trade deal did not really materialize. That’s why the expectation reportedly is that Kuminga will return to the team for 2025-2026 and then be traded ahead of the February deadline.
Kuminga was the No. 7 overall pick by the Warriors in 2021. He has been with the team for four seasons, though he slipped back into a reserve role last season. Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.8 steals per game last season. He appeared in 47 games, making 10 starts and averaging 24.3 minutes per game. Kuminga increased his 3-point shot attempts from 2.2 per game the previous season to 3.2 per game last season, which likely contributed to his field goal percentage dropping to a career-low 45.4. Kuminga had less of a rule on the team once they acquired Jimmy Butler.
“We would love to have him back,” Buddy Hield said of Kuminga during an interview Sunday at the NBA Summer League. “He’s a specialty talent, and I hope that he stays and hope that we can go on this run together.”
If Kuminga indeed returns to the Warriors, it sounds like his teammates will be pretty happy about it.
