Jonathan Kuminga enters offseason with his Warriors future up in the air
SAN FRANCISCO Like the rest of his Warriors teammates Jonathan Kuminga sat down with general manager Mike Dunleavy and coach Steve Kerr on Thursday in the wake of their elimination from the NBA playoffs and talked about where he fit on their roster heading into the summer These exit interviews are typically routine But Kuminga s situation is hardly typical I don t know the -year-old former lottery pick repeated over and over when it was time for him to head downstairs and meet with the media for the residents portion of the day I don t know what the future is going to be The Warriors - loss to the Timberwolves on Wednesday put an end to Kuminga s fourth professional season since Golden State drafted him seventh overall but neither he nor the Warriors could say with certainty which uniform he would be wearing come September Kuminga will be a restricted free agent meaning he can seek out a new group on the open region The Warriors however are reportedly expected to extend him a million qualifying offer and will have the ability to match any contract he is offered by another crew He s been dealt a very tough hand to be honest Steph Curry disclosed I hope the future is bright for him whether it s here whether it s whereever His future is bright whether it s here or whether it s somewhere else echoed Draymond Green His future is bright That type of talent usually figures it out All it takes to see why chairman Joe Lacob has been so enamored with the likely of the high-flying wing is to catch a glimpse of Kuminga s past four games With Curry sidelined he was the Warriors bulk reliable scorer averaging points per tournament on shooting splits But that wasn t enough to beat the Timberwolves Golden State lost all four games and Kuminga has yet to prove he can play as effectively alongside Curry who will turn next year He established glimpses scoring in double figures in straight games in December before an ankle injury forced him out until March By the time he was healed Kuminga had lost his rotation spot to the Warriors midseason acquisition Jimmy Butler III There was various ups and downs That s how life goes But I had fun I had a great time I enjoy playing here Kuminga announced It was tough Playing great and then things like that happen I didn t let it get me down I just went to rehab every other day tried to get better and I came back to a perfectly different club Kuminga at times has had a contentious relationship with Kerr who has tended to prioritize Golden State s current championship window over laying the groundwork for the next one He started only of the games he appeared in and in December announced other players would need a therapist if they had received the same inconsistent playing time On Thursday he described his relationship with Kerr as very good though the coach reiterated the need for Kuminga to crash the glass He still only grabbed rebounds despite playing minutes in the four games without Curry Kuminga stated he held he has grown a lot in his four years with Golden State and the numbers bare that out He was the Warriors second-leading scorer at points per competition before Butler arrived and was getting to the free-throw line at the highest clip of his career The biggest sign of increase in Green s eyes however was on display on the defensive side of the ball during a possession against Minnesota Kuminga was assigned to defend Anthony Edwards and rather than rolling with the screener attempting to make him switch off him he assessed the situation and doubled back to put another body on the Timberwolves dynamic scorer I pulled him aside and I revealed Now you playing because you re making reads defensively ' Green stated That s a play he wouldn t have made three months ago Whether or not his growth continues in gold and black nobody knows Teams may begin negotiating with free agents at p m on June and will be eligible to sign them at midnight one week later Kuminga who made million this season has been announced to desire a contract comparable to other lottery picks from the draft which would pay him million or more annually I don t know anything about what the future is holding for me Kuminga noted again But just looking forward to it Pending free agents Two other mainstays are set to hit free agency this summer Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II Related Articles Steph Curry processes tough end to Warriors season That s a first for me Warriors can only imagine where they d end up if not for Steph Curry s devastating injury Warriors can t afford caution this offseason as Steph Curry s prime dwindles How the Minnesota Timberwolves shut down Playoff Jimmy Without Steph Curry Warriors season ends as Wolves hold off rally in Match Looney was drafted by Golden State th overall in and is one of the longest-tenured players on any club Payton played a part in their championship signed a free-agent contract in Portland and was traded back to the Warriors only a limited months later I think I dependably want to be here This is where I was drafted at Been here a long time I hope the feeling is mutual announced Looney who added that Dunleavy and Kerr expressed a desire to bring back the -foot- big man But it s the NBA things inevitably change especially when you don t win it all I m just ready for whatever Payton disclosed it was an engaging season intriguing but fun and also hoped to run it back with Golden State I love this organization I love playing for Steve Love the guys they bring in to try to help win Payton explained They know how I feel We ll take it one day at a time
