After Jonathan Kuminga took part in his first Warriors practice of training camp on Thursday – he participated in about half the team’s scrimmages, per head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter video link) – the 22-year-old forward publicly discussed his contract situation for the first time since finalizing a two-year, $46.8MM deal that includes a second-year team option.
Negotiations on that contract dragged on for the entire offseason in part because Kuminga reportedly didn’t want to simply become a trade chip after re-signing. So, now that he’s back under contract on a very tradable deal, does he feel as if the Warriors want to keep him for the long term?
“I would say so,” Kuminga said, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “Based on me being back here. At the end of the day, let’s see where this takes us. But my focus is this year pushing and actually helping us win. You never know what’s going to happen, but I’m happy, glad to be back.”
As for whether he wants to remain in Golden State for the long term? “I’m here now,” Kuminga said. “That’s everybody’s goal, to be somewhere for longer. You never know your future. So far that’s my goal. That’s what I want to accomplish. Being here for longer.”
Kuminga’s role has been inconsistent during his first four years in the NBA, including last spring, when he was a DNP-CD in a handful of games at the end of the season and in the postseason. He said on Thursday that he’s determined to find ways to “help us win” on both ends of the court in 2025/26 and that he intends to silence critics who believe he’s an offense-only player.
“If it’s on defense, if it’s an assignment, just go guard the best player,” Kuminga said. “Today we need you to score. Today we need you to guard certain people. That’s what I’m looking forward to and I’m open-minded to it.”
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Lakers big man Maxi Kleber is dealing with a quad injury, but it’s considered minor, according to head coach JJ Redick, who said on Thursday the team is being cautious with Kleber and he’ll miss a few days (Twitter link via Jovan Buha). Kleber, acquired from Dallas in February’s Luka Doncic blockbuster, broke his foot in January and didn’t make his Lakers debut until Game 5 of their first-round series vs. Minnesota, the team’s last game of the season.
- Cedric Coward, the No. 11 pick in June’s draft, is earning praise from coaches and teammates alike at the Grizzlies‘ training camp at Belmont University this week, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I think he’s kind of exceeded my expectations,” point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. said. “I never really saw any of his (college) highlights, but I’ve played and I’ve been around top picks. I feel like he’s been one of the better ones I’ve ever seen.” Memphis gave up a future first-round pick and two second-rounders in order to move up five spots from No. 16 to draft Coward.
- After declaring at a July 22 press conference that it’s “winning time now” for the Trail Blazers, general manager Joe Cronin walked back that comment a little this week when he discussed the team’s expectations for the coming season, notes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Substack link). “Do we want to make the play-in? Yes,” Cronin said. “Do we want to make the playoffs? Yes. Do we want to win 16 playoff games? Yes. But I don’t have expectations and I won’t be disappointed if those things don’t happen as long as we’re continually growing. We’re still thinking big-picture with this roster.”
- On media day on Monday, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant answered a question about the possibility of him coming off the bench by replying, “I don’t really expect that.” On Thursday, Grant sought to clarify that he wouldn’t become disgruntled if he doesn’t end up starting. “I’m fine, man,” he said, per Highkin (Twitter link).
Post Horford Jackson-Davis Green
All lock arms around Curry
Curry shoots nothing but uncontested 3’s
Finally, it’s time.
If he remains focused on doing the team needs to do to win, he’ll get his minutes. Like many athletes, the contract can be a distraction. Hard to start focused. People try to hard. I’m sure Draymond and Butler have a lot to teach him.
So wise and inspirational. Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome.
So… Traded the day he becomes eligible?
It depends on the Warriors record at the time. .500 or below, yes. Five or eight games above .500? Not yet.
Seriously. Another rip on JK thread.
Contract signed 3 days ago. Training camp started also. But who cares about talking real hoops when you can rip.
Warriors fans on Hoopsrumors write 10 words hating JK for every 1 word on the team.
How is this ripping on Kuminga? Do you understand how this works? Every team, looking to make a playoff run, is going to look at the performance and roster at the Trade Deadline and look at possible upgrades. It is pretty normal. Why are you trying to be a drama queen?
EasyMoney, so if this isn’t working out by the trade deadline you’re saying you would NOT look to make a move and continue the season with an unbalanced roster and hope for the best? Even if you’re five games under .500 with a healthy team?
I don’t think it’s ripping or hate to say the Warriors would look to make a deal in that case.
I think that is talking Hoops. All we do here is talk about the roster.
Who is doing that? Who is ripping Kuminga?
Literally everyone online who said “Get this guy off my team” at any point in this process
Amazing that after wanting a stretch 5 for all these years, we now have not just 1, but 2 of them.
It’s good for Steph, like you say, but it will also benefit Butler and Kuminga.
Why isn’t anyone worried about when Jimmy quits on his team because of his lack of extension? If Jimmy is having the career year like most Warriors fans keep assuming, he’ll be aware, and eventually start to sabotage and pout until he gets paid again.
Get outta here! He did so much for Miami, literally carrying the whole for 4-5 yrs. He got Spo a major extension, probably saved Riley from early retirement, and got all his teammates amazing extensions. Heat was losing their winning identity before Jimmy got there…. I respect Riley but he screwed up at the end with Jimmy.
We agree on most of what you said outside of the end, though it doesn’t have anything to do with what I am asking.
What did Pat screw up? Not max-extending a 36 year old who misses 15-25% of games every year and can’t shoot 3’s?
But if you’re comparing basketball legacies and impact on the NBA, Jimmy can’t wear Pat Riley’s diapers, and Jimmy is only one small subsection of the entirety of an impressive and extremely successful coaching journey Eric Spoelstra has traversed.
There is a reason someone so talented like Butler has worn out 3 different franchises. They all ended poorly. Why would you expect this time to be different, especially if he is having an amazing season? It’s not like we’ve never seen how Jimmy acts when Jimmy thinks Jimmy deserves more money in Jimmy’s bank account.
It would be an act of extreme ignorance to pretend it’s everyone else’s fault and this time Butler would somehow behave differently after doing the exact same thing every other time he’s been in this situation.
Jimmy proved that he still has plenty left in the tank. By far, he was and still is the best player on the Heat roster. Imagine what Heat would have done with Jimmy last yr. It was a miscalculation on Riley’s behalf.
Who were you watching?
Only thing i see Riley do wrong is suspend him the first time. When Butler requested a trade Riley should have said if a team offers me a good deal then i will trade you. Just play the game. Instead Riley said No I will not trade you and suspended him. When he returned he was benched. Both sides handled it poorly.
Who said anything about him having a career year? I never heard that.
So “this year” he’s going to “focus on actually helping (the Warriors) win”?
Is he admitting that wasn’t the case before?
Already looking for an excuse to criticize. Listen to the interview.
I’ve been one of JK’s biggest supporters here and elsewhere online. But these quotes sound forced – I mean how do you think most of us fans feel about his use of “actually”, and his halfhearted “That’s everybody’s goal, to be somewhere for longer. You never know your future. So far that’s my goal.”
So far?
I take it as JK is begrudgingly learning how the NBA works. Back in July, Draymond said the a lot of players don’t understand the CBA. They are over playing the market. JK wanted to find a team where he could be the “central focus” of the offense. That didn’t work out. Now, he has to learn to play more within the team. I think it will be good for him, if he learns from Dray and Butler.
For God’s sake English is his second language. It’s called “broken English”. He says “actually” almost every sentence.
Every answer JK made this week he tried to say he wanted to be here. But that’s not your narrative.
Only a true hater asks if “he’s admitting he wasn’t” trying to help the team win before.” No “supporter” would ever say that about a player.
Half these Warriors fans on here. Don’t even understand what they when they praise him or criticize him. They just whine cause they lose. Or cause Kuminga doesn’t help. They don’t care that a player needs time to find his game. Maybe even on another team. Wagoneers lol.
What are you whining about now?
I think it’s irrelevant tbh. Talk is cheap and we’ve heard players say this before only to stick with their bad habits. Of course he was going to say all the right things in his interview.
Bottom line is we’ll know soon enough whether or not he’s truly committed to the idea. If he does, it bodes very well for his future. If he doesn’t, well…
@sheagoodbye
Yes of course he’s just trying to say all the right things.
But even when he does that the haters will want to twist it.
And even if it were true, who cares? The only thing that matters is what he does from here on out and he has full control over his defensive intensity and effort as well as his shot selection. The past is in the past.
Yes, the past should be the past.
But some folks want to make the past the future of every Warriors thread on HR
I guess it was just wishful thinking on my part that we wouldn’t hear about Kuminga anymore.
Signing the contract is just the beginning.
How about, how is he going to play, or that doesn’t matter?
I don’t think that’s a sound assessment of the situation here. How he performs on the floor is of a massive importance.
Dlo, Beal, Dinwiddie, Westbrook, Simmons all had struggles in a season and got traded. The goal is obviously to trade Kuminga.
The mantra of most GMs is, “better to trade them to soon than to late”. The tried to trade Steph, and almost traded Klay. There are two questions when you consider a trade. How much am I giving? And, what am I getting in return?
Yes but never trust a GM that can’t spell. Its’s not to soon. But it may be to late.
What are you whining about now?