Important decision looming regarding Warriors' former first-round pick

Wednesday night's 121-110 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves officially ended the Golden State Warriors' "hopeful" playoff run. In addition, the defeat provides Golden State's decision-makers ample time to self-assess their roster and potentially make a move that helps their win-now mindset.

Stephen Curry (37), Jimmy Butler (35) and Draymond Green (35) form one of the league's oldest cores. Curry and Butler are scheduled to make a combined $113 million next season, accounting for nearly 73% of the 2025-26 salary cap.

During the 2025 playoffs, when Curry was on the court, it was evident that Steve Kerr and the coaching staff did not trust Jonathan Kuminga.

When Curry was fully healthy in the first round against the Houston Rockets, the 22-year-old forward appeared in just three games. In those contests, Kuminga averaged 19 minutes, six points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists, while shooting 7-of-23 from the field (30%).

The Ringer reported on Wednesday, ahead of Game 5 between Golden State and Minnesota, that Curry's effectiveness was the main reason for Kuminga's lack of playing time during the first round.

"Despite his talent, Kuminga's propensity to look for his shot at the expense of the flow of Golden State's offense has irked the coaching staff," Logan Murdock wrote. "During a late-season game against the Blazers, team sources say Kerr was incensed after several instances in which Kuminga looked off Curry to create his own offense. Kuminga subsequently received DNPs in the Warriors' regular-season finale against the Clippers and then again in their play-in matchup against the Grizzlies. By the start of the playoffs, many within the organization wondered whether Kuminga, who is eligible for an extension, had played his last game as a Warrior."

Those speculative thoughts were suddenly vanquished when Curry suffered a strained left hamstring in Game 1 against Minnesota. Kerr and the coaching staff had no choice but to give Kuminga a chance to make an impact on the court, which is what Kuminga did coming off the bench.

In the four games, with extended minutes and without Curry, Kuminga averaged 24.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists, while shooting 36-of-65 from the field (55.3%).

Kuminga is a restricted free agent this offseason, which means the Warriors would have to match an offer sheet from another team to retain his services. Golden State can still negotiate with the former seventh-overall pick before other teams.

Because the Warriors prioritized acquiring and signing Butler at the trade deadline, they will unlikely re-sign Kuminga.

A sign-and-trade is the most likely outcome, as the club will focus on building around Curry, Butler and Green with cheap contracts.

Losing Kuminga would be detrimental to Golden State's future. However, with little financial flexibility and trying to compete with Curry's career winding down, Kuminga may have played his last game in a Warriors uniform.