Did the Warriors stunt Jonathan Kuminga’s growth?

Jonathan Kuminga landed in Golden State with sky-high expectations. A lottery pick (No. 7) at age 19, explosive, switchable and built like a future star. But after four seasons, it’s hard not to feel like the Warriors never really unlocked what he could be.

Let’s look at the numbers:

• 2021-22 (rookie year): 70 games, 16.9 minutes, 9.3 points.
• 2022-23: 67 games, 20.8 minutes, 9.9 points.
• 2023-24: 74 games, 26.3 minutes, 16.1 points.
• 2024-25: Missed two months with an ankle injury, still averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes over 47 games. Shot 45.4 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from three.

The leap was coming. He had a strong stretch before the injury, averaging over 24 points per game across six contests with high efficiency. And in the 2025 playoffs, he had his best series in the second round: 20.8 points per game across five games, showing legit two-way flashes.

So what went wrong?

Kuminga rarely got full trust from Steve Kerr. In the 2022 playoffs, he played just 8.6 minutes per game. In 2023, that number dropped to 6.1. Even last season, he only started 10 games. There were moments of brilliance, but the leash was always short.

He could defend wings, finish at the rim and had tools you just don’t find often. But the rotation kept him in a box. Golden State was in win-now mode, so it leaned on vets. But it also slowed Kuminga’s development curve—and may have frustrated him.

Some around the league believe the Warriors mismanaged him. He looked ready for a bigger role this year, but was constantly shuffled. His numbers in games with more than 25 minutes were impressive—he averaged 16.8 points, five rebounds and 2.2 assists in six starts before the All-Star break.

And now comes the price of all that. Kuminga is a restricted free agent, and the Warriors reportedly offered shorter-term deals. Meanwhile, teams like the Kings and Suns are circling, potentially with sign-and-trade proposals, but the team rejected them. If Golden State had made him a true priority earlier, this might not be happening.

It’s not that he failed. It’s that the window to make him something bigger may have come and gone. In a season where the Warriors needed youth and juice, Kuminga wasn’t treated like a core piece—until it was too late.

There’s no question the talent is real. He’s 6’8”, athletic and has improved his handle and patience every year. But when a young player doesn’t get steady minutes, mistakes are magnified and confidence wavers. That happened here.

Now the question is: did the Warriors truly invest in his growth, or just hope it would happen on its own?

Because if another team turns Kuminga into the two-way force many projected, it won’t be some shocking twist. It’ll be the result of a player who always had it and was just waiting for the right situation.