NBA insider reports Warriors could move on from misfiring prospect after inconsistent start
In the past few seasons, the Golden State Warriors have started to invest in their youth knowing that the era of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are on their last legs. While there have been some interesting pickups, the team has not able to unlock the potential of their players.
Jordan Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards and James Wiseman struggled to impress before being traded to the Detroit Pistons. Jonathan Kuminga is now their best bet to lead the team's youth movement.
However, the NBA G-League Ignite alum has yet to set the league alight. Kuminga averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists last season. He may have increased his scoring output to 12.3, but his shot selection percentage dropped to 43.4% from 52.5% in 2023-24.
Sean Deveney of Heavy.com reported that the Warriors are reaching a critical juncture regarding the future of Kuminga on the team. According to an NBA executive, Kuminga's future with the team might be uncertain. The exec believes the Warriors are on a six-game losing streak. Hence they might might choose to cash in and bring in other players to help the team.
"How long can they stick with that, if he is not going to be a guy they rely on and he is not going to be happy in that role? There is going to be a breaking point," said an NBA executive to Heavy.com. "And I think they’re getting near that point where they have to say, we need to move him get help now. It has not happened yet. But give it a month. Everybody’s got their eye on that.”
While Jonathan Kuminga is just 21 years old and has a bright future ahead of him, his mother team would need to be more patient with his progress.
Jonathan Kuminga so far with the Golden State Warriors in the 2023-24 NBA season
Jonathan Kuminga is averaging 12.3 points on 20 minutes per game. However, he has shown glimpses of his potential in a few games.
His best scoring game so far was against the OKC Thunder on November 16. He tallied 21 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block in 26 minutes of playing time.
Another notable performance was against the OKC Thunder again on November 3. That time Kuminga provided the team with 19 points, two rebounds and one assist.
While Kuminga's game has improved, the window for Steph Curry to win another championship may be closing soon. It would be interesting if the team would sell high on Kuminga and find a key piece to push the Warriors to another title.