The Golden State Warriors enter the 2025 offseason with a clear need to improve their roster. Steve Kerr’s team has solid depth, but lacks a legitimate big man and some additional ball-handling off the bench.
However, before Mike Dunleavy Jr. can begin upgrading the current rotation, he must deal with Jonathan Kuminga’s impending free agency. Interestingly, recent reporting has hinted at Kuminga’s potential exit from the Bay Area. After all, he’s struggled to earn a sustainable spot in the rotation and has been overlooked in big games.
Yet, according to Warriors insider Monte Poole, the franchise is now “very likely” to keep the former lottery pick beyond this summer.
“The scuttlebutt around the NBA is that the Warriors will very likely find a way to hang onto JK,” Poole said. “It doesn’t mean he’s going to be a long-term answer. They can just move him later.”
Keeping Kuminga would be a head-scratcher for the Warriors. Steve Kerr recently admitted that he’s struggled to find a role for the explosive forward in his rotation.
“I’ve been asked to win,” Kerr said in a recent episode of “The TK Show” podcast. “Right now, he’s not a guy who I can say that I’m going to play 38 minutes with the roster that we have…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’s tricky.”
If Kuminga doesn’t have a defined role with the Warriors next season, keeping him around is borderline malpractice. Golden State needs upgrades at other spots on the floor. Just as importantly, Kuminga needs minutes to develop his game.
The Warriors risk a player’s future over their inability to pick a lane. Other young stars will take note of Kuminga’s plight, which could hurt the franchise when looking for cost-controlled undrafted talent in future years.
The Warriors should listen if other teams around the league produce viable sign-and-trade offers for Kuminga. The goal is to win a championship. Spending money on a player Kerr doesn’t fully trust is nonsensical, especially as re-signing Kuminga could limit the team’s flexibility in the free agent and trade market this summer.
The Warriors need to have a plan and execute it. Right now, it feels like they’re still trying to figure out the best path forward. And for a team with dreams of contending next season, that doesn’t bode well.
