When Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million extension in the late 2025 offseason, it looked like the saga was finally settling. Fans believed the contract signaled stability and a clear role for the former lottery pick in Golden State’s future.

But barely a quarter into the new season, the stability many expected has already begun to wobble. Golden State has stumbled out of the gate, and questions about Kuminga’s place in Steve Kerr’s rotation are growing louder. Those concerns hit a new level on Monday night when Kuminga logged a DNP against the Chicago Bulls.

Jonathan Kuminga Breaks Silence on DNP vs. Bulls

Things have taken a sharp turn for Kuminga early in the 2025 season. After a summer that suggested stability, featuring a new contract and optimism around his expanding role, the 23-year-old forward has struggled to find rhythm.

His underwhelming start, paired with nagging injuries, has pushed him out of the starting lineup, and Monday’s full DNP against the Chicago Bulls was the clearest sign yet of how far his role has slipped.

“Steve Kerr benched both Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga for the entire 4th quarter in Philadelphia. He then laid out exactly how he wants both to play pregame yesterday in Cleveland. It seems one responded to that and one didn’t,” Marc Grandi wrote on X.

Despite the mounting scrutiny, Kuminga isn’t pointing fingers. Instead, he’s keeping a positive tone, even as he watches his minutes evaporate.

“We just switched certain things. That’s all,” he said. “I’m not really sure how long it lasts, but as long as things are working out there and we’re winning, I don’t see the point of switching anything. So, whenever my number gets called, I’ll be ready.”

Here’s Jonathan Kuminga’s full five-minute postgame availability on his DNP

“We just switched certain things. That’s all.”

“I’m not really sure (how long it lasts), but as long as things are working out there and we winning, I don’t see the point of switching anything.” pic.twitter.com/Ug6MCHMNsd

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 8, 2025

Golden State demolished Chicago 123–91, and with 11 different Warriors seeing the court, Kuminga’s absence became an even bigger storyline. Kerr defended the choice postgame, framing it as a byproduct of depth and game flow rather than a disciplinary message.

“Just gotta keep going. Just like everybody else who is in this position. It happens to everybody, pretty much other than the stars. Guys come in and out of the rotation, depending on who’s available, how the team’s playing,” he said.

Though the team converted their game into a win, many remained unhappy with the Kumnga decision. The Warriors-Kuminga drama can be traced back to the team signing Jimmy Butler III, with the former being upset over reduced playing time.

Reports also hinted at tension between Kerr and Kuminga, but Kuminga quickly shut those down.

“We have a good relationship,” Kuminga said regarding Kerr. “We get to talk and figure out things. We don’t have any problems. I don’t have any problems. Things just didn’t go my way today. I’m going to stay happy, stay locked in, stay focused into the next one.”

A 2021 pick by the Warriors, Kuminga is averaging 12.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, while shooting 43.8% from the field and 32% from beyond the arc. His talent remains undeniable, but as the Warriors search for consistency, his fight for a stable role appears far from over.