San Francisco – Like the rest of his Warriors teammates, Jonathan Kuminga sat with managing director Mike Dunleavy and coach Steve Kerr Thursday following their elimination of the NBA qualifiers and spoke of the place where he was heading to their alignment in the summer.
These output interviews are generally routine. But Kuminga’s situation is hardly typical.
“I don’t know,” said the old 22 -year -old lottery, it was time when it was time for him to go down and meet the media for the public part of the day. “I don’t know what the future will be.”
Wednesday, the defeat of the Warriors 121-110 against the Timberwolves put an end to the fourth professional season of Kuminga since Golden State drafted him seventh in the general classification, but neither he nor the Warriors could say with certainty which uniform he would wear in September.
Kuminga will be a limited free agent, which means that he can seek a new team on the free market. The Warriors, however, should extend a qualification offer of $ 7.9 million and will have the opportunity to match any contract offered to it another team.
“He received a very difficult hand, to be honest,” said Steph Curry. “… I hope that the future is brilliant for him, whether it is somewhere.”
“His future is brilliant, whether here or whether it is elsewhere,” said Draymond Green. “His future is brilliant. This type of talent generally understands it. “
All you need to see why President Joe Lacob was so in love with the potential of the high -flying wing is to have an overview of the last four Kuminga games. With Curry away, he was the top scorer in the Warriors, with an average of 24.3 points per game on 55.4% / 38.9% / 72.0% of shooting.
But that was not enough to beat the Timberwolves – Golden State lost the four games – and Kuminga has not yet proven that he can play as effectively alongside Curry, who will be 38 years next year. He showed overviews, marking two -digit in 17 consecutive games in December, before an ankle injury made him out until March. As he was healed, Kuminga had lost his rotation point in the face of the acquisition of mid-season of the Warriors, Jimmy Butler III.
“There were ups and downs. This is how life is going on. But I had fun. I had a good time. I like to play here,” Kuminga said. “It was difficult. Play very well, then things like it happens. I didn’t leave it (it stops). I just went to rehabilitation every two days, I tried to improve and came back to a completely different team. ”
Kuminga sometimes had a controversial relationship with Kerr, who tended to prioritize the current Golden State championship window on the establishment of the bases of the next. He started only 10 of the 47 games in which he appeared, and in December, 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”, although the coach reiterated the need for Kuminga to plant the glass. He still only seized 14 rebounds despite the 124 -minute game in the four curry -free games.
Kuminga said he thought he had “grown up” during his four years with Golden State, and naked figures. He was the second top scorer of the Warriors at 15.3 points per game before the arrival of Butler and went to the line of free throws to the highest climate of his career.
The biggest sign of Green’s eyes growth, however, was exposed on the defensive side of the ball in possession against Minnesota. Kuminga was assigned to defend Anthony Edwards, and rather than riding with the sequestration criterion which tries to have it extinguished, he evaluated the situation and doubled to put another body on the dynamic scorer of the Timberwolves.
“I removed it and said,” Now you play, because you do defensively “,” said Green. “It is a piece that he would not have done three months ago.”
Whether its development continues or not in gold and black, no one knows. The teams can start to negotiate with free agents at 3 p.m. on June 30 and will be eligible to sign them at midnight a week later. Kuminga, who has won $ 7.6 million this season, would have liked a contract comparable to the other choice of a 2020 draft lottery, which would pay him $ 30 million or more per year.
“I don’t know what the future is holding me,” Kuminga said. “But I can’t wait to be there.”
Free -waiting agents
Two other pillars are expected to hit a free agency this summer: Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II.
Looney, 29, was drafted by Golden State 30th in total in 2015 and is one of the longest players of any team. Payton, 32, played a role in their 2022 championship, signed a free agent contract in Portland and was exchanged in the Warriors a few months later.
“I think I always want to be here. This is where I was drafted. I was here for a long time. I hope that the feeling is mutual,” said Looney, who added that Dunleavy and Kerr expressed the desire to bring the great 6 -inch man. “But it’s the NBA; things are still changing, especially when you don’t win everything. I’m just ready for anything.”
Payton said it was an “interesting” – “interesting but fun” season – and also hoped to make it go back with Golden State.
“I love this organization. I love playing for Steve. I love the guys they bring to try to help win,” said Payton. “They know what I feel. We will take it one day at a time. ”
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
