![\"Warriors](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2100651527-e1740232700537.jpg\")
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shakes hands with Jonathan Kuminga.<\/p>\n
As the Golden State Warriors<\/a> grapple with the fallout from Jimmy Butler<\/a>\u2019s season-ending ACL tear, one storyline has moved sharply back into focus: Jonathan Kuminga<\/a> is ready \u2014 and willing \u2014 to return.<\/p>\n According to ESPN\u2019s Anthony Slater, the former lottery pick has maintained a professional approach despite weeks of uncertainty and is prepared to re-enter the rotation if called upon, a notable development as Golden State reshapes its plans in Butler\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n Anthony Slater: Kuminga \u2018Ready if Called Upon\u2019<\/p>\n Appearing on NBA<\/a> Today, Slater reported that internal discussions are underway regarding Kuminga\u2019s return, signaling a potential turning point in one of the Warriors\u2019 most complicated sagas of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve already been given indications that today they are exploring the idea of restarting the engines, entering Jonathan Kuminga potentially back into the rotation,\u201d Slater said<\/a>. \u201cAnd from the Kuminga side, his feelings towards the organization and Steve Kerr have not changed. I\u2019ve also been told that [Kuminga] will be ready if called upon, and I do think we\u2019ll get another chapter of this.\u201d<\/p>\n Slater\u2019s reporting frames Kuminga as engaged rather than resistant \u2014 a key distinction after weeks of speculation surrounding his relationship with Kerr and his long absence from game action.<\/p>\n Steve Kerr Confirms Door Is Open<\/p>\n Kerr\u2019s own comments aligned, at least publicly, with Slater\u2019s report. When asked postgame whether Kuminga could return to the rotation following Butler\u2019s injury, Kerr was direct.<\/p>\n \u201cSure. Absolutely,\u201d\u00a0Kerr said<\/a>.<\/p>\n The answer marked Kerr\u2019s clearest indication in weeks that Kuminga remains an option as Golden State searches for solutions without Butler\u2019s two-way presence.<\/p>\n Slater\u2019s Report Contrasts With Earlier ESPN Account<\/p>\n Slater\u2019s account stands in contrast to reporting from ESPN colleague Shams Charania, who previously described the relationship between Kerr and Kuminga as damaged beyond repair.<\/p>\n \u201cIn some shape or form, the Warriors are back on the rollercoaster that is their saga with Jonathan Kuminga,\u201d Charania said<\/a> on SportsCenter. \u201cMy sources tell me the relationship between him and Steve Kerr is fractured beyond repair.\u201d<\/p>\n Kerr has repeatedly pushed back on that narrative.<\/p>\n \u201cOur relationship is fine,\u201d Kerr told reporters<\/a>, according to The Athletic. \u201cIt\u2019s a difficult situation for everybody\u2026 part of the league, part of the job.\u201d<\/p>\n Slater\u2019s reporting suggests that, fractured or not, both sides are prepared to move forward if circumstances demand it.<\/p>\n Kuminga\u2019s Absence a Flashpoint for Warriors<\/p>\n Kuminga has not played since Dec. 18, and tension escalated on Jan. 2 when he ruled himself out with back soreness roughly an hour before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> \u2014 a night when\u00a0Stephen Curry<\/a>,\u00a0Jimmy Butler<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Draymond Green<\/a> were all resting.<\/p>\n Kerr had previously indicated Kuminga would feature prominently in that matchup. Instead, he did not play.<\/p>\n According to The Athletic\u2019s Sam Amick, Marcus Thompson II, and Nick Friedell, multiple Warriors sources questioned the legitimacy of the injury.<\/p>\n \u201cKuminga\u2019s absence certainly raised some eyebrows across the league, and frustration within the Warriors\u2019 organization,\u201d\u00a0the reporters wrote<\/a>. \u201cMultiple team sources said they suspect Kuminga wasn\u2019t actually hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n One anonymous Warriors player was blunt: \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have played either. It\u2019s clear the coach doesn\u2019t believe in him.\u201d<\/p>\n Butler Injury Creates New Opportunity<\/p>\n Now, the calculus has changed. Butler\u2019s injury has created a clear need for athleticism, size, and scoring on the wing \u2014 areas where Kuminga can help immediately.<\/p>\n In Golden State\u2019s most recent game without Butler, Kerr started Curry, Green, Moses Moody<\/a>, Brandin Podziemski<\/a>, and Quinten Post<\/a>. While functional, the lineup underscored the absence of a downhill scorer and versatile defender.<\/p>\n A Reset Moment for Kuminga and the Warriors<\/p>\n Slater\u2019s reporting makes one thing clear: Kuminga is not disengaged. He is available, prepared, and waiting.<\/p>\n Whether the Warriors choose to re-engage him may determine not only how they survive Butler\u2019s absence, but also how they resolve one of the most delicate internal situations of their season.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Warriors\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shakes hands with Jonathan Kuminga. As the Golden State Warriors…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294700,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3786],"tags":[7,479,164,4025,4024,6,255],"class_list":{"0":"post-550163","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golden-state-warriors","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-golden-state","10":"tag-golden-state-warriors","11":"tag-goldenstate","12":"tag-goldenstatewarriors","13":"tag-nba","14":"tag-warriors"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115930872224607509","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=550163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550163\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=550163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=550163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=550163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}