Apr 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) before game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Potential 76ers Target Held To Limited Role in Opening Round

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Declan Harris | Last updated May 8, 2025 3:24 PM ET

The Golden State Warriors eliminated the Houston Rockets in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, pulling off an upset in the process, given that they went into the series as the seventh seed. The final match saw former Philadelphia 76ers star, Buddy Hield, drop 33 points, which came in large part due to his eight makes from beyond the arc.

While Steve Kerr managed to run through several of his options over the course of the seven-game series, there was one player who only managed to appear in three games: Jonathan Kuminga. The 22-year-old played an average of 16 minutes against the Rockets, averaging six points per game on 30.4 percent from the field. Even in the Warriors' opening match against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kuminga only managed to play a minor role in the match, dropping seven points.

The four appearances in the opening round came after a point in which Kerr had explained that Kuminga may be a part of the Warriors' plans in the playoffs. "He still may be a part of the equation in this series and maybe the next series after that," explained the Warriors' head coach.

It does have to be said that some of Kuminga's absences in the opening round didn't have anything to do with Kerr's game plan, as he did miss game five due to a migraine. However, his other absences come after what was a rough second half of the season for the 22-year-old, as he struggled to find minutes after returning from an injury to his ankle that kept him out of 31 games.

Some of this could be attributed to the success Golden State had while he was out, which was highlighted by the acquisition of Jimmy Butler, who joined the team right ahead of the trade deadline in February. Following the acquisition of the former Sixer, Golden State has amassed a record of 23-8 as they went into the Play-In tournament.

Given all of this uncertainty surrounding Kuminga’s role in Kerr’s system, the 22-year-old could depart the Oracle Arena in the offseason given that he is set to become a restricted free agent. While this doesn’t guarantee an exit, it allows the Warriors’ front office to match any offers sent to the 22-year-old.

With Guerschon Yabusele set to become an unrestricted free agent, the Sixers could be without a key player in the frontcourt, which could lead them to reach out to Kuminga in the offseason.