The rumored rift between Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Jonathan Kuminga may have gotten wider after some surprising disrespect from the coach this week.
One of the biggest stories for the Warriors during the summer was about their attempts to land a big-time impact player via a trade. They were linked to a weeks-long pursuit of Jazz star Lauri Markkanen. And recent rumors stated they also attempted deals for Paul George and Karl-Anthony Towns.
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However, those trades never came close because reports suggest the organization was not interested in moving talented youngster Jonathan Kuminga. The former first-round pick has shown a lot of potential and had a breakout season in 2023-24. He seems like a potential long-term building block for the organization.
But last year there were rumblings that head coach Steve Kerr and Jonathan Kuminga didn’t always see eye to eye. It is why his name has been tossed into various trade speculations over the last year. Well, on Tuesday the forward revealed more evidence that they are still not on the same page.
- Jonathan Kuminga stats (2024): 10.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 17% 3PT
Steve Kerr tells Jonathan Kuminga about Golden State Warriors benching via text
The Warriors have gotten off to a 3-1 start in 2024 but Kuminga hasn’t been a key part of it. Over the first four games of the season, he has gotten off to a sluggish start and is shooting terribly from the arc. Understandably, Steve Kerry decided he wanted to remove him from the starting lineup. However, the way he went about informing Kuminga was surprisingly disrespectful.
“It wasn’t my decision. I got a text, this is how it’s going to go, this is who it’s going to be, and I went with it,” Kuminga told media last night. “What am I supposed to do … ask why am I not starting? This is the decision of the coach, and we will follow what he’s going to do.” He continued: “At the end of the day, I’m still a professional. I’m going to do what I’ve got to do.”
- Jonathan Kuminga contract: Four years, $24.8 million
It is surprising that Kuminga would not get told about his ouster from the starting five in a face-to-face chat. After something like this, it is hard to doubt the pair are not fans of each other. Based on how this all played out.
The Golden State Warriors forward is a restricted free agent after this season and there have already been rumblings he will have several suitors on the open market.
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