When the Golden State Warriors drafted Jonathan Kuminga with their top lottery selection in 2021, the expectation was that he would be the leading candidate to take the torch from Stephen Curry. An athletic wing with the potential to be a two-way star, expectations for Kuminga were sky high.
Those high hopes never materialized for the young forward. His tenure was defined by a lack of a clear role, inconsistent on-court production, and a very strained relationship with head coach Steve Kerr. Kuminga requested a trade multiple times over the last couple of seasons, but he finally got his wish a couple weeks ago when he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis.
The Kuminga-Warriors partnership has come to its merciful end, but the aftermath has revealed even more of just how messy the relationship between Kuminga and Kerr truly was — and that is the real reason the deal finally happened.
In an in-depth ESPN piece, head coach Steve Kerr admitted he always viewed Kuminga as a high-energy wing who could defend, run the floor, and operate effectively out of the dunker spot. Kerr compared the young forward to Shawn Marion or Aaron Gordon and believed that could be a valuable, winning role for him on a championship-contending roster.
Kuminga saw it very differently. He believed he had shown enough to earn a consistent on-ball role and become a rotation fixture. He felt Kerr was putting him in a box and simply did not believe in him as a player.
The two could never see eye to eye on Kuminga’s role. That fundamental disconnect led to heated arguments in Kerr’s office, passive-aggressive postgame media comments from Kuminga, and far too many DNPs.
While Kuminga did flash real potential as an on-ball creator, the Warriors were still Stephen Curry’s team. Kerr’s vision for him — as a dynamic role player next to the greatest shooter ever — was the smarter fit for winning now. Kuminga could have eventually stepped into the bigger role he craved once Curry’s career wound down. He simply refused to wait.
The wait is now officially over.
Kuminga desperately needed a change of scenery where he can be the lead option he envisions himself to be. The Warriors, meanwhile, needed to move on and bring in a player who fits seamlessly next to Curry. Whether Kuminga thrives with the big role in Atlanta or Porzingis finally solves Golden State’s center questions remains to be seen.
Either way, this was a tumultuous but necessary divorce — and the full story behind it keeps unfolding.