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The 7th overall pick in the 2021 draft, Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga emerged as a force last season, setting career highs across the board including 16.1 PPG on 52.9% from the field. In 2024-25 he battled through injury to produce similar numbers in 47 games played, but he was less efficient in doing so: 15.3 PPG on 45.4% shooting. Meanwhile, his minutes dropped rom 26.4 to 24.3 per contest.
But injury was not the only thing keeping Kuminga off the court this season. His diminished role in the rotation came to the glaring forefront when he logged DNPs in Golden State’s decisive regular season finale and in the 7 vs 8-seed play-in game, a 121-116 Warriors win over Memphis.
Center Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr downplayed Kuminga’s absence. Green claimed it was matchup related and that fans would see him next round. “He’ll contribute,” he said. But for a player of Kuminga’s talent and potential, being relegated to the bench in the team’s most meaningful games cannot be a satisfactory role. A restricted free agent at season’s end, he may very well be gone according to one Warriors reporter.
In Love with Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors Have Kicked Jonathan Kuminga to the Curb
As a restricted free agent, Kuminga is entitled to a qualifying offer from Golden State before exploring the market if he declines it. If another team offers him a contract, the Warriors have the right to match. If they do, Kuminga will be obligated to stay in Golden State.
But it seems unlikely that a) Kuminga would accept the initial qualifying offer or b) that the Warriors would be interested in competing for his services. After averaging over 30 minutes a night in December, Kuminga was sidelined by injury between January 4 and March 13. In the meantime, the Warriors went out and got Jimmy Butler, a trade that has reshaped their identity.
23-8 after Butler’s arrival, Golden State surged to the 7-seed after dropping as low as 12th earlier this season. Losing to the Clippers in game 82 dropped them to the play-in, but they got by the Grizzlies via 38 points from Butler and 37 from Steph Curry. They will play the 2-seed Rockets in round one.
In this new roster landscape, Kuminga has seen his playing time curtailed. Since returning from injury, he has played more than 25 minutes once (28 min) in 15 games. Besides being benched, in four of his last five appearances he logged under 20.
It is hard to see Kuminga being excited about his future in Golden State. Likewise, the team has moved on to other lineups. A twitter report by Legion Hoops indicates that Tim Kawakami, who covers the Warriors for The San Francisco Standard, does not envision a continuing marriage between the two parties:
REPORT: Jonathan Kuminga is unlikely to be on the Warriors next season, per @timkawakami.
(via @WillardAndDibs) pic.twitter.com/QMvurYBsna
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 18, 2025
Why Kuminga Failed To Regain His Standing
For all his improvements, one of Kuminga’s hobbling traits remains his lack of long-range prowess. Despite shooting 37% on threes as a sophomore, his accuracy has dipped to 32.1% and now 30.5% the past two seasons.
Butler is not a shooter; neither is Green. Kevon Looney, who continues to get minutes at center, is limited to the paint. The Warriors are no longer the Splash Brothers juggernaut of old. Beyond Curry, they have precious little marksmanship from reliable sources.
Although they finished 2nd in three-point attempts and 4th in makes, their 36.4% success rate ranks 16th. Buddy Hield, acquired last offseason for his sniping volume, is a liability on defense and may have his minutes further slashed in the playoffs. Moses Moody has replaced him effectively in the starting lineup, but Hield remains the only Warrior besides Curry averaging two or more made threes per game.
Because of his mediocre three-point shooting Kuminga fails to help the team in a critical area. Neither is he a trustworthy free-throw shooter at 66.8%. Also 6’7, Jimmy Butler slides naturally into Kuminga’s spot at power forward as Golden State trots out three-guard lineups with Curry, Moody and Brandin Podziemski.
Butler is also the superior defender and playmaker. Kuminga’s lack of shooting or defensive grit makes him a less than ideal bench option. Since his injury, Butler’s arrival and the revamping of the team’s chemistry, Kuminga has not been re-integrated into the offense.
The writing is on the wall. Things might change, of course, if Kuminga becomes integral to beating Houston in the first round. But if he continues playing on the fringes or not all, he’ll probably be packing his bags, win or lose, before the series is over.
More must-reads:
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TODAY'S BEST
Damian Lillard’s agent takes a shot at the Bucks
Damian Lillard’s agent took an apparent shot at the Milwaukee Bucks following the star guard’s return to the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard’s longtime agent Aaron Goodwin suggested that Lillard’s failure to perform to his peak abilities in Milwaukee had to do with the team’s system. Goodwin suggested that the Bucks did not play to Lillard’s strengths, and that he sacrificed for the good of the team. “He never really had an opportunity to play as he has played the first 12 years of his career,” Goodwin told Jamal Collier of ESPN. “He played to win in the system that he was in.” Lillard’s scoring numbers did drop after being traded to Milwaukee, but that was inevitable now that he was sharing the stage with Giannis Antetokounmpo. In two seasons with the Bucks, he still averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists per game, but the Bucks never quite meshed as a unit. His latest severe injury ultimately gave the Bucks reason to move on as they try to maximize their championship window. Based on Lillard’s reaction to being waived by the Bucks, it is pretty clear that he never completely settled into Milwaukee. His move back to Portland, in that context, may not be all that surprising after all.
Padres already demoting one of their trade-deadline acquisitions
The Padres announced they’ve optioned JP Sears to Triple-A El Paso. They recalled reliever Sean Reynolds and will go with a nine-man bullpen in the short term. Sears will spend at least 15 days in the minors unless he’s brought up to replace a player going on the injured list. San Diego acquired Sears alongside Mason Miller in last week’s massive deadline deal. The 29-year-old southpaw made his team debut Monday night. He allowed five runs in as many innings on 10 hits and a walk against the Diamondbacks. Sears took the loss in a 6-2 defeat. He’d carried a 4.95 earned run average over 22 starts with the A’s. Monday's performance pushed his ERA to 5.12 across 116 innings. It’s a bottom-10 mark among pitchers to log at least 100 frames. Sears had the highest home run rate among that group, offsetting his nearly league-average 20.3% strikeout rate and solid 6% walk percentage. This is the first time in two-and-a-half years that Sears heads to the minors. He broke camp with the A’s in 2023 and has been in the majors since then. Sears has also avoided the injured list for that entire time. As a result, he’s tied for fifth in MLB with 87 starts since the beginning of the ’23 season. The durability is the big selling point, as his production (4.62 ERA/4.56 SIERA) over that stretch is that of a fifth or sixth starter. The demotion shouldn’t have any impact on Sears’ service trajectory. He has already surpassed the three-year mark and will qualify for arbitration next winter. He’s under team control for three seasons beyond this one. While he’ll probably be back up at some point this year, it may require an injury elsewhere in the rotation. San Diego optioned Randy Vásquez over the weekend. They have a four-man rotation of Dylan Cease, Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish and deadline acquisition Nestor Cortes. Darvish and Cortes will get the ball for the next two outings. San Diego is off Thursday and could turn back to Pivetta and Cease on extra rest for their first two games of the weekend series against the Red Sox. That’d point to the series finale on Aug. 10 as Michael King’s return date. King threw 61 pitches in what is expected to be his final rehab start on Sunday, via the MLB.com injury tracker. He’d be on six days' rest for his first MLB appearance since he went on the injured list in late May with a nerve problem in his throwing shoulder.
Patriots stars react to HC Mike Vrabel getting bloodied while breaking up camp fight
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel likely won the respect of his team Wednesday. However, he may have needed a few stitches afterward. The Patriots hosted a joint practice with the Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. New England rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson took a Commanders pass-rusher to the ground in pass protection, resulting in a scuffle. Vrabel then jumped in to help stop the fight. His face was bloodied after both teams calmed down. Patriots second-year quarterback Drake Maye loved that his coach was willing to step in. In a news conference after practice, the 22-year-old passer said that's the mentality the team needs. "That's what we're trying to build," he said. "The intensity, bringing it every day, taking no cr-p when we're out on the field. But also, it comes a time where, with our guys offensively, and getting over there and getting some tussles and kind of having some penalties, and extra after the whistle, can get us in trouble. But for mentality, I like it. I mean, I almost got in there, but I think maybe another day, maybe." His new coach doesn't want the QB to get in any brawls. The Patriots are banking on the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft being the franchise's future. Plus, he doesn't need to worry about the Patriots' intensity with Vrabel in the building. New England wide receiver DeMario Douglas noted the former linebacker didn't seem rattled after breaking up the scrap. "I said, 'Coach, what's wrong with you?' And he said, 'You should have seen the other guy,'" Douglas told the media while smiling. "I just saw the scar on his face but didn't know what was happening." Vrabel likely sent two messages at Wednesday's practice. He won't tolerate an undisciplined team but also has his players' backs. That could go a long way for a Patriots squad aiming to improve after a 4-13 season.
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Angel Stadium experiences embarrassing issue after game
Angel Stadium is apparently doing its best impression of Oakland Coliseum. The Los Angeles Angels hosted the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday afternoon for a game at their Anaheim, California, home. It was the Rays who emerged victorious by a 5-4 final score, turning in some impressive plays along the way as well. After the loss by the Angels, the baseball gods continued to rain on them … literally. While reporters were gathered in the media room waiting for Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery to give his press conference, the roof in the room was noticeably leaking, resulting in water puddling on the floor and on a nearby trash can. Sam Blum of The Athletic shared the footage, noting that Montgomery’s press conference was ultimately moved to a different room. Angel Stadium opened back in 1966 and has served the home of the Angels ever since (also notably housing several other professional and collegiate teams, including the Los Angeles Rams from 1980-94). But it is clear that some renovations are badly needed at this point (beyond the trash can that appeared to have been intentionally placed under the leak to deal with the dripping water). Angels owner Arte Moreno, who has owned the team since 2003, is often accused of penny-pinching, particularly when it comes to resources and accommodations. Now that Angel Stadium looks to be slowly falling apart as well, perhaps Moreno will call for cups to be taped to the ceiling like other MLB teams have done before to stop leaks.
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