With the Warriors now forced to adjust following Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL injury, attention has shifted back to a familiar topic: Jonathan Kuminga and whether he could find his way back into the rotation.
Conversations are happening internally about Kuminga’s potential return, opening the door to yet another turn in one of Golden State’s most complicated storylines this season, Anthony Slater reports.
“I’ve already been given indications that today they are exploring the idea of restarting the engines, entering Jonathan Kuminga potentially back into the rotation,” Slater said on NBA Today. “And from the Kuminga side, his feelings towards the organization and Steve Kerr have not changed. I’ve also been told that [Kuminga] will be ready if called upon, and I do think we’ll get another chapter of this.”
Steve Kerr’s response after the game suggested that possibility isn’t being dismissed.
When asked whether Kuminga could be brought back into the rotation in the wake of Butler’s injury, Kerr told reporters, “Sure. Absolutely.”
That outlook differs from reporting by ESPN’s Shams Charania, who had painted a far bleaker picture of the relationship between Kuminga and Kerr, even since the Butler news.
“In some shape or form, the Warriors are back on the rollercoaster that is their saga with Jonathan Kuminga,” Charania said on SportsCenter. “My sources tell me the relationship between him and Steve Kerr is fractured beyond repair.”
However, Kerr has consistently pushed back against that characterization.
“Our relationship is fine,” Kerr said, via The Athletic, just a few days ago. “It’s a difficult situation for everybody… part of the league, part of the job.”
While questions about the relationship remain, Slater’s reporting indicates that if the Warriors need Kuminga, both sides appear prepared to move forward – whatever the past issues may have been.
READ MORE: Jimmy Butler Suffers Season-Ending ACL Tear