October 20, 2023; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (right) talks to forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Steve Kerr Shares Harsh Reality on Jonathan Kuminga Amid Trade Rumors

Originally posted on Golden State Warriors on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated May 21, 2025 9:33 PM ET

Building around superstar point guard Steph Curry has been easy for the Golden State Warriors for the past decade, but as the two-time NBA MVP nears retirement, the franchise has to focus on young talent to build its future around.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, they have not had much luck with developing young talent.

In the 2021 draft, the Warriors selected Jonathan Kuminga seventh overall, and the young forward has shown plenty of promise. When Curry went down with an injury in the second round of this year's playoffs, Kuminga stepped up to keep the team's offense afloat, but his future in Golden State is still in doubt.

Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors are expected to “explore sign-and-trade” scenarios, per @anthonyVslater.

(via @ThompsonScribe) pic.twitter.com/aE0xXLxGbV
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 15, 2025

Kuminga is set to enter restricted free agency, although a sign-and-trade to find him a new team seems to be the most likely scenario this offseason. The main reason why Kuminga is so unlikely to return to the Warriors is his crumbling relationship with head coach Steve Kerr, who benched him at the end of the season.

On Wednesday, Steve Kerr was asked about Kuminga's fit on the Warriors, and the veteran head coach had a very telling response.

"It's a tricky one because Jonathan [Kuminga] obviously is gifted and wants to play a bigger role and wants to play more," Kerr said. "For me, I've been asked to win, and right now he's not a guy who I can say I'm gonna play 38 minutes with the roster that we have, Steph and Jimmy and Draymond, and put the puzzle together that way and expect to win.

"Doesn't mean he's not a really good player, doesn't mean he's not talented. It just means the fit and with the roster that we have, it is tricky. There's no question."

Kuminga's future with the Warriors is already clouded, but when his head coach admits how "tricky" his fit is on the team, it is easy to say he has played his last game in a Golden State uniform.

This article first appeared on Golden State Warriors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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