With Jonathan Kuminga left out of the lineup for Sunday’s 123-91 win over the Chicago Bulls, the writing might be on the wall as to his future on the Golden State Warriors.
Kuminga, who signed a two-year, $46.8 million deal with the Warriors, is eligible to be traded started Jan. 15. ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported Sunday that Golden State is “expected to explore the Kuminga trade market in the weeks ahead as the probability of a split before the February deadline remains strong.”
The 23-year-old forward started the season off strong. Through the Warriors’ first six games, he was averaging 17.5 points on 55.4 percent shooting, including 45 percent on threes.
That proved to be a false dawn as head coach Steve Kerr is once again struggling to balance Kuminga’s minutes with what’s best for the team.
“I’m not really sure [how long it lasts],” Kuminga said Sunday, per Slater. “But as long as things are working out there and we winning, I don’t see the point of switching anything, changing. Whenever my number get called, I’ll be ready.”
The fact he didn’t see the floor in a 32-point victory certainly seems telling.
Kuminga’s trade value hasn’t improved since the summer, and Golden State might have even less leverage now than it did when he last garnered interest outside of the Bay Area.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. will want to get something of note back for a young player who still has plenty of potential. At a certain point, however, the Warriors will have to accept whatever is on the table.
Moving on from Kuminga and making a clean break is in the interests of both parties because nothing has suggested that allowing for more time will help to resolve the general problems that predate this season.