Steve Kerr and the top stars of the Golden State Warriors got brutally honest on the future and trade rumors surrounding Jonathan Kuminga.
Details have emerged about why exactly Golden State Warriors head coach lost faith in Jonathan Kuminga as part of the team’s future. Kuminga’s talent level should have made him a strong contributor, but he barely received playing time after the first month of the season. Fans have wondered what Kuminga did to get in the doghouse and not get a fair chance to remain part of the roster.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater delivered a detailed report claiming Kerr wanted Kuminga to play more like current Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon and NBA legend Shawn Marion:
“Kerr had long made comparisons to Shawn Marion and Aaron Gordon, believing Kuminga’s best career stretches came as an energy wing who sprinted the floor, operated out of the dunker spot, rebounded, defended with versatility and didn’t need offense run through him.
But as Kuminga’s career developed, Kuminga believed he’d shown enough in supplementary roles to have earned more consistent trust and on-ball opportunity. Neither happened to his liking, sources said.”
Kerr wanted Kuminga to commit more to this role, but the young star wanted to evolve into a better all-around player. Both sides butted heads over what was best for Kuminga’s career to create this ugly falling out at the trade deadline.
Kuminga Also Lost General Manager’s Support
The account of Slater also claimed that Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. agreed with Kerr and wanted Kuminga to play within his role. Kuminga grew frustrated with neither his coach nor General Manager viewing him as good enough to play with the ball in his hands on offense.
Kerr started to play Kuminga less when he tried to force more shots and didn’t show commitment to what the team wanted from him. Kuminga ultimately requested a trade and sparked confusion over his status. Kerr claimed he didn’t know why Kuminga was unavailable to play in certain games, but he also refused to play the forward when active.
Both sides reached a point of no return, and Dunleavy fully sided with Kerr. Critical comments from Dunleavy after the trade for Kristaps Porzingis showed he was over Kuminga and called out his availability issues.
Kuminga Can Easily Prove Kerr Wrong
The Atlanta Hawks decided to trade for Kuminga at the deadline and hope to develop the young player as part of their core for the future. Kuminga will get a chance to shine with more playing time clearly available on the Hawks roster.
Atlanta will likely want Kuminga to play to the best of his abilities and thus will get more chances to show his offensive skill set. Golden State badly lacks depth and is reportedly looking to add star power in the offseason to give Stephen Curry any chance at contending.
If Kuminga looks better in his Hawks tenure and shows stronger potential, Kerr and Dunleavy will get all the blame for throwing away a good talent. The Warriors and Kuminga must both do well in the aftermath of this trade, or one of the two sides will look like the bigger loser.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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