Jonathan Kuminga Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Wiggins, M. Brown, Lakers

December 28th, 2022 at 7:47am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have liked what they’ve seen lately from second-year forward Jonathan Kuminga, Anthony Slater writes for The Athletic. Kuminga scored 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting in Tuesday’s win over Charlotte, but it was his defense that drew praise after the game.

“He f—ing locks up now,” teammate Draymond Green said. “I think it’s very impressive to see. Not that you never thought he was capable, but to see the maturity and buying into a role. Like, ‘Oh, that’s my role, that’s what I need to do. I’m going to go do that better than anyone.’ We’ve seen his impact over the last few weeks. He’s hawking every point guard he gets on.”

As Slater details, a steal Kuminga made against Hornets forward P.J. Washington in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 101-101 prompted head coach Steve Kerr to compare the 20-year-old to one of the Warriors’ veteran leaders.

“He looked like Andre Iguodala on that play,” Kerr said. “That’s an Andre-type play. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Andre’s been mentoring him throughout the season and last year.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

The Warriors got some good news and some bad news this week on forward Andrew Wiggins, who has been sidelined since December 3 due to an adductor strain. Wiggins has been cleared to return from that injury, but is battling an illness, which will keep him out at least through Wednesday’s game against Utah, tweets Slater.
Kings head coach Mike Brown has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced on Tuesday (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat). Assistant coach Jordi Fernandez is coaching the team in Brown’s place, but Brown is experiencing only mild COVID-19 symptoms and hopes to be cleared to return soon, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link).
In the past, LeBron James‘ comments to the media about his teams’ shortcomings have often spurred his front offices into action, but his calls for help this season appears to be falling on deaf ears, according to Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group, who explores whether any roster moves are coming for the Lakers.

Pacific Notes: Wiseman, Kuminga, Green, Suns, Lakers

December 15th, 2022 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

Some league executives believe the Warriors will make one or more of their recent lottery picks available in trade talks this season, says Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. One of those execs told Bulpett that he thinks we could see James Wiseman or Jonathan Kuminga on the trade block, with Golden State seeking another reliable veteran to plug into the team’s rotation.

“(The Warriors) think (the young players) are decent enough talent-wise, but they just don’t think they can put those kids on the floor and execute,” the executive said. “They recognize their talent and their athletic ability; they just don’t have the execution piece.

“And their logic is this: they only have X number of years of Steph Curry‘s elite level of play, and they don’t want to waste any of it. So far those two kids have just not developed in the same way Jordan Poole has, and I would think there’s somebody out there who’ll say, ‘Yeah, I’ll take one of those young guys and see if I can’t, with patience, get them to develop.'”

The exec went on to say that he doesn’t think it would take a star player to pry one of those youngsters away from the Warriors, arguing that the defending champions simply need a solid veteran who can be counted on and is “not going to get in the stars’ way.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Warriors forward Draymond Green had an altercation with a fan in Milwaukee on Tuesday and claimed after the game that the fan said “some threatening things to my life,” according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. The fan was ultimately kicked out of the arena after Green told a referee what happened, but the former Defensive Player of the Year expressed frustration that there aren’t more repercussions for that sort of behavior. “There are no real consequences,” Green said. “Yeah, you can’t come back to the game, or even if you get arrested, nothing really happens … you just hope it gets to a point where these leagues can work with legislators to implement laws, because that’s the only thing that’s really going to correct the issue.”
Deandre Ayton (left ankle sprain) and Devin Booker (left hamstring tightness) are listed as questionable for the Suns‘ game on Thursday vs. the Clippers, tweets Gerald Bourguet of GoPhnx.com. Booker has missed Phoenix’s last two games, but said on Tuesday that he feels “healthy” and “strong,” per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, so his return appears imminent. The team will be without point guard Cameron Payne, who left Tuesday’s loss due to a right foot sprain, Bourguet adds.
Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times and Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group argue that the Lakers owe it to LeBron James and Anthony Davis to make a trade to upgrade the team’s supporting cast, given how well the stars are playing and how little help they’ve had.

Warriors Notes: Wiseman, Wiggins, Kuminga, Curry

December 7th, 2022 at 9:51pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors center James Wiseman is back in the NBA and is eager to show what he learned during nearly three weeks in the G League, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. With Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins all missing tonight’s game at Utah, the team recalled Wiseman to have another player available.

“[Santa Cruz] was fun,” he said. “I’m a hooper. I got to play 25, 28 minutes. That was love right there. I was going out there, working hard, just trying to get better, had so much fun out there. Probably too much fun.”

Playing time has been an issue for Wiseman, who hasn’t made it through a full season since high school, Andrews notes. His college career lasted just three games, he tore his meniscus as a rookie and sat out all of last season with a variety of setbacks.

Wiseman said he focused on “improving in the small areas” during his G League stint. He averaged 15.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.14 blocks with Santa Cruz, and now he wants to take advantage of his next opportunity with the Warriors.

“I’m so much more grateful, more appreciative of this moment now to be able to be back up here,” Wiseman said. “I’m just grateful to be back playing at this level, also, being in a small hotel room the last two weeks not doing nothing, I’m just grateful to be back up here in a big-a– hotel again, be in a great bed again.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Wiggins’ adductor strain will keep him out at least through Saturday’s game with the Celtics, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. He will be reevaluated before the team leaves on a six-game road trip that starts Tuesday.
Jonathan Kuminga is becoming comfortable with the Warriors’ style of play and is the best bet among the team’s young players to earn a significant rotation role, observes Scott Ostler of The San Francisco Chronicle. “His defense has really been excellent,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He’s guarding some of the tougher players for the opposing team, whether it’s a point guard or a wing. He’s got size (6-foot-7). He’s smart, he’s really starting to figure out how to defend without fouling, and try to bother those ballhandlers. He’s earning minutes, for sure.”
Curry has been selected as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year, per C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle. Curry was recognized by the magazine in 2018 along with the rest of his teammates, but this is his first time winning the honor as an individual.

Spurs Rumors: Poeltl, Richardson, McDermott, 15th Man, Wesley

December 7th, 2022 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Center Jakob Poeltl is the player that the Spurs have gotten the most trade inquiries about, according to LJ Ellis of SpursTalk, who repeats what he reported last month, writing that the team continues to seek two lightly protected first-round picks in any deal involving the big man.

The Raptors and Warriors are among the teams that have shown the most interest in Poeltl, sources tell Ellis. Toronto has thus far been unwilling to offer a package headlined by more than one moderately protected first-round pick, Ellis writes.

As for a potential fit with Golden State, Ellis hears that the Spurs aren’t especially interested in James Wiseman or Jonathan Kuminga as the centerpiece of a hypothetical Poeltl trade. According to Ellis, San Antonio likes Moses Moody the most out of the Warriors’ three young prospects, but would want more than just Moody for Poeltl. In other words, Golden State would likely have to be willing to part with future draft assets to have a chance to land the veteran center.

The Spurs’ other trade candidates include Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott. Ellis says the club still wants a first-round pick in any deal involving Richardson, while McDermott will likely remain in San Antonio through the trade deadline unless a team offers a first-rounder for him.

Here’s more on the Spurs:

Having recently signed Alize Johnson to a non-guaranteed contract to provide frontcourt depth following injuries to Poeltl and Jeremy Sochan, the Spurs will likely cut Johnson and sign a perimeter player once their regulars get healthy, sources tell Ellis. Bringing back Jordan Hall is one possibility, and San Antonio has also been doing its homework on former Jazz guard Jared Butler. One longer-shot candidate for that 15th roster spot, according to Ellis, is Isaiah Thomas, who could be a target if the front office feels as if the scoring burden on youngsters like Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell is getting too heavy.
Richardson is expected to return to action on Thursday vs. Houston after missing six games due to a right ankle sprain, tweets Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. McDermott, out for two games with a sprained right ankle of his own, will also likely be back on Thursday, Orsborn adds (via Twitter).
Spurs rookie Blake Wesley, who is recovering from a torn MCL, still has no official timeline for a return, but the club is hoping he’ll be back later this month, according to Orsborn (Twitter link).

Warriors Notes: Green, Kuminga, Moody, Wiseman

December 1st, 2022 at 9:50pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors forward Draymond Green has been fined $25K for “directing obscene language toward a fan,” the NBA announced (via Twitter). The incident occurred at the beginning of the fourth quarter during Golden State’s loss to Dallas on Tuesday.

The four-time All-Star is averaging 9.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 7.1 APG and 1.0 SPG on .602/.320/.697 shooting through 20 games (30.7 MPG) for the defending champions. His percentage from the field (60.2%) is a career high.

Green can become a free agent in 2023 if he declines his $27.6MM player option for next season.

Here’s more on the 11-11 Warriors:

Second-year forward Jonathan Kuminga had a mini-breakout in Tuesday’s loss, playing 26 minutes and recording 14 points (on 6-of-8 shooting), 10 rebounds, two blocks and a team-high plus-21. Head coach Steve Kerr was extremely pleased with his effort, per Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. “Best game I’ve ever seen JK play,” Kerr told reporters in Dallas, “because everything he did contributed towards making an impact on winning. His defense on Luka (Doncic) was fantastic, he was disciplined, he stayed down, he challenged shots. … He stayed patient offensively, he just took the shots that were there, he knocked down a big 3. JK was fantastic; he’s really coming into his own, and that’s very exciting.”
As Kawakami details, the reason Kuminga has seen minutes in recent games and Moses Moody and James Wiseman (currently in the G League) have not is because he’s learning that less is more when it comes to his role. He’s playing with energy, defending, moving the ball quickly, not trying to force shots, and has been a willing screener and cutter. Kawakami believes Moody will get another shot at rotation minutes at some point, but he needs to show that he can “make quick decisions, move the ball, defend without fouling and keep the mojo going” in order to regain Kerr’s trust.
It’s up to Wiseman to dominate in his G League stint to convince the Warriors that he should get another opportunity for playing time, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. His performances with Santa Cruz have been mixed thus far, according to Poole, who notes that Golden State’s second unit has stabilized with Green leading the charge alongside reserves Jordan Poole, Donte DiVincenzo, Anthony Lamb, Kuminga and occasionally JaMychal Green. How long Wiseman stays in the G League will be a good indicator of “how hot (his) competitive fire burns,” per Monte Poole.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Green, AD, Lakers, Clippers

November 24th, 2022 at 8:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Chris Mannix and Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated debate how long the Warriors should hold onto their young talent. Both writers believe that former lottery picks James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have the potential to be quality players down the road, but none are contributing much right now, and the bench has been a disaster after letting several players walk in free agency.

Mannix and Beck are confident that Jordan Poole will turn things around after a slow start, but if the bench continues to struggle into 2023, they’d start seriously considering making changes. SI’s duo believe the front office owes it to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson to maximize their chances of winning another title.

Here are a few more notes from the Pacific:

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently made an adjustment to the rotation that seems to have stabilized the non-Curry minutes, with Green and Andrew Wiggins playing alongside three reserves in Poole, Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Lamb. Anthony Slater of The Athletic examines the potential impact of the switch. “What am I doing?” Green said. “Number one, just trying to slow the unit down. That unit should not play as fast as the first unit. It should be more methodical. It should be more sets. It should be more patterned movements as opposed to random movements and random offense. I think, for me, it’s just trying to slow that unit down and then, number two, most importantly, make sure that unit is defending.”
Anthony Davis has been absolutely dominant for the Lakers over the past four games, averaging 35.5 PPG, 18.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.3 SPG and 2.5 BPG while shooting 62.3% from the floor and 92.0% from the charity stripe. Kyle Goon of The Southern California News Group wonders if Davis’ stellar two-way play will make the front office more willing to deal away the team’s two available future first-round picks (2027 and 2029) to build around the 29-year-old, since Goon thinks that’s a more compelling reason to go all-in when compared to giving LeBron James the best chance to reach the playoffs at the end of his career.
Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is preaching patience to reserves John Wall and Robert Covington, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Wall has been frustrated by having to sit out back-to-backs because he feels fully healthy, but Lue noted that the veteran sat out all of last season, so the team is being cautious. As for Covington, he’s averaging his fewest minutes (13.8) since his rookie season back in ’13/14. “It’s a long season and we have so much talent and so much depth that I know it’s going to be times when people going to play and some people not,” Covington said. “I knew what was coming and knew what to expect at times. I’m not the type of person that’s going to complain about too much, I’m going to sit up there and call and be there ready when my number’s called.”
Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and Paul George (hamstring) have been ruled out for Friday’s contest against the Nuggets, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. There’s no timetable for either player to return.

Multi-Team Deal Possible For Jae Crowder

November 23rd, 2022 at 8:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Several teams have expressed interest in Suns forward Jae Crowder and there’s speculation that a trade could get done soon, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Crowder, who had been a starter during his first two years in Phoenix, is working out on his own while he waits for a deal to be completed.

The Bucks, Hawks and Warriors are among the most prominent suitors for Crowder, sources tell Pincus, and an unidentified executive believes the final version of the deal could include as many as five teams.

Pincus hears that Milwaukee has offered Grayson Allen for Crowder, while Atlanta is willing to part with some combination of Bogdan Bogdanovic, Justin Holiday and John Collins. The Suns don’t have any immediate interest in either of those offers, Pincus adds.

As reported earlier today by Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Rockets could play an important role in a multi-team deal. Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports stated last week that Phoenix had interest in Kenyon Martin Jr., and Pincus speculates that veteran guard Eric Gordon could also be included in a trade that sends Crowder and Dario Saric to another team. Pincus hears that Houston would want “real value” to get involved, whether it’s in the form of young talent or draft assets.

The Warriors could be a team to watch in the Crowder sweepstakes if they’ve become more willing to unload some of their young players after an 8-10 start, Pincus writes. Golden State’s defense has regressed after losing Gary Payton II and Otto Porter in free agency, and Crowder is the type of multi-positional defender who could fix those issues.

The Warriors also need help with rebounding after falling from seventh to 25th in the league in that category, and rival executives expect them to target another big man as well as a defensive wing. Pincus cites Myles Turner and Jakob Poeltl as possibilities, though the Pacers may decide to keep Turner after their strong start. The Spurs are limited to less than $13MM as the starting point for an extension offer to Poeltl, and the team may be inclined to trade him rather than risk losing him in free agency.

Golden State would have to send out nearly $16MM in salary to acquire both Crowder and Poeltl, but it’s limited in what it can offer until Donte DiVincenzo, JaMychal Green, Andre Iguodala and Kevon Looney become trade-eligible later this season.

Pincus offers a sample trade in which send the Warriors send James Wiseman and Ryan Rollins to the Spurs, while the Rockets get Jonathan Kuminga from Golden State and Saric from Phoenix. Another Pincus suggestion has the Warriors keeping Kuminga while shipping Moses Moody and either Patrick Baldwin or Rollins to the Rockets, while San Antonio gets Baldwin or Rollins along with Wiseman.

Warriors Notes: Looney, Wiseman, J. Green, Poole, Thompson

November 15th, 2022 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

While Jordan Poole is the most obvious recent example of a Warriors player who benefited from a stint in the G League before breaking out at the NBA level, Anthony Slater of The Athletic believes Kevon Looney may be a better point of comparison for James Wiseman, who is headed to the Santa Cruz Warriors on Tuesday.

As Slater writes, Looney spent time in the G League in each of his first three NBA seasons, including a stint in his second year after he had been pulled from the team’s rotation. Looney has since evolved into one of Golden State’s most dependable and trusted veterans, but admits he wasn’t thrilled by the assignment at the time, and he knows it may not be easy for Wiseman to take his own G League assignment in stride.

“It’s really difficult,” Looney said. “Especially when you’re a high pick. You got all these expectations. You’re coming off injury. You want to prove yourself to all the doubters. You see all your peers doing well, everyone talking about how good they are and you feel like you’re just as good and things aren’t coming as fast. It makes it frustrating.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

According to Slater, JaMychal Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Anthony Lamb are likely to remain in Golden State’s rotation with Wiseman in Santa Cruz. Head coach Steve Kerr said after Monday’s win that he hasn’t done Green “any favors” by how he has used him so far (video link via Slater). Kerr now believes Green is best suited to be a backup center, rather than a power forward, and believes Green’s ability to space the floor will help create room for Poole to operate.
After pouring in 36 points on Monday, Poole is now averaging 28.7 PPG on .475/.394/.944 shooting in three starts this season, compared to 13.9 PPG (.421/.323/.765 shooting) in 11 games off the bench. Kerr said on Monday that things come easier for Poole when an opponent’s top defender is focused on Stephen Curry and he can utilize screens set by Looney and Draymond Green (Twitter link via Kendra Andrews of ESPN). However, as he said last week, Kerr stressed that he’s not considering moving Poole into the starting five on a full-time basis.
In a conversation with Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, Klay Thompson expressed some frustration that helping lead the Warriors to four titles and returning from two major leg injuries hasn’t earned him more leeway from critics as he works through an extended slump. The veteran sharpshooter remains confident that he both he and the Warriors will find their stride sooner or later. “I’m happy to go through this now compared to a few months from now,” Thompson said. “No need to panic. We’re like 14 games in. It’s a long season. We face a challenge of going back-to-back, which is incredibly difficult. And then trying to integrate the new guys. It’s going to take time but we’ll figure it out.”

Warriors Notes: Young Players, J. Green, DiVincenzo, Thompson

November 14th, 2022 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors‘ two-timeline plan of mixing young players with their established stars isn’t working, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. The latest example came Sunday against the Kings when coach Steve Kerr had to pull his reserves midway through the fourth quarter and reinsert Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

“We’re not a team right now where we can afford to let guys make mistakes,” Kerr said after the loss, which dropped Golden State to 0-7 on the road. “We’re not good enough to withstand a lot of mistakes.”

Third-year center James Wiseman, whom the Warriors valued highly enough to take with the second pick in the 2020 draft, has already fallen out of the rotation. Moses Moody hasn’t played at all the past two games, and his fellow 2021 lottery pick, Jonathan Kuminga, is seeing minimal time, usually early in the game. Even Jordan Poole, who received a lucrative long-term contract extension last month, sat out nearly the entire fourth quarter against Sacramento.

There’s more on the Warriors:

Another problem for Golden State is that offseason additions JaMychal Green and Donte DiVincenzo haven’t replaced the production lost when Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II and Nemanja Bjelica all departed, Thompson adds. Green has lost his rotation spot, while DiVincenzo is coming off an injury and hasn’t been as productive as the front office was hoping. Thompson notes that Damion Lee and Juan Toscano-Anderson would both be seeing regular playing time if they hadn’t also left in free agency.
Draymond Green believes the Warriors are still adjusting to their reserves (video link from Anthony Slater of The Athletic). The second unit used to present opponents with a different look on offense, Green said, but now the first man off the bench is usually Poole, who is similar to Stephen Curry in his style of play.
Klay Thompson has been struggling with his shot so far, but he promises things are going to change, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. After Sunday’s loss, Thompson posted a message on Instagram that read, “My belief is stronger than your doubt. I PROMISE you it’s coming. And when it does, the floodgates will open.” His shooting percentage currently sits at a career-low 35.1%.

Pacific Notes: Kawhi, Crowder, Poole, Thompson, Warriors

November 11th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who has been out of action since October 23 due to right knee soreness, took part in a five-on-five workout on Friday for the first time since he has been sidelined, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Leonard won’t be available on Saturday when the Clippers host the Nets, but head coach Tyronn Lue said he is encouraged by the forward’s progress.

“The first time he was able to get on the floor and play five-on-five and he looked pretty good,” Lue said. “Still have a ways to go, but that was the first sign of positivity of him getting on the floor, playing five-on-five.”

As Youngmisuk relays, Lue said that Leonard will need a “few more (workout) opportunities” before the team is comfortable clearing him. The Clippers’ head coach also said he’s not sure whether the former NBA Finals MVP will continue to come off the bench when he returns, like he did in his first two games of the season.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Since Cameron Johnson went down with his knee injury, the Suns have made an effort to reopen some old Jae Crowder trade talks, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated in the most recent episode of his Hoop Collective podcast (hat tip to RealGM). Like Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Windhorst and his ESPN colleague Tim Bontemps have both heard that there’s no indication the Suns and Crowder will mend fences and have the veteran forward report to the team.
Moving Jordan Poole into the starting lineup in place of Klay Thompson isn’t something the Warriors will consider to jump-start their struggling bench, head coach Steve Kerr said during an appearance on Damon & Ratto on 95.7 The Game (YouTube link). “No, that’s not something I’ve given any thought to,” Kerr said. “Jordan and Klay are very different players. Jordan’s more on the ball, Klay’s off the ball. … Klay is a starter. That five-man (starting) unit is the very best unit in the league.”
While it’s a good thing that Warriors two-way players Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome can be counted on to play regular roles, it’s not a great sign that they’ve already earned more trust from Kerr than the team’s young prospects, according to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, who considers whether Golden State’s plan to develop three youngsters (James Wiseman, Moses Moody, and Jonathan Kuminga) while trying to contend is flawed.