The Golden State Warriors are preparing to be without 2021 No. 7 pick Jonathan Kuminga for at least the next three weeks after he “suffered a significant lateral ankle sprain” during the team’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, the team announced.
“I wouldn’t say the worst,” the 22-year-old says of the severity of his injury, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “It’s just probably going to take longer than usual (to recover).”
“I just don’t want to be off (the floor),” he adds. “I want to be out there playing and I feel like our team is now taking off in the right direction and I would love to just be out there.”
Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga Addresses Ankle Injury, Future
Kuminga has been involved in a number of trade rumors over the past year, which only ramped up after he failed to agree to a contract extension to stay in Golden State long-term. With that being said, his contractual demands come at a time when stars like Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler and New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram seem like they’re on the verge of being moved because of theirs. If so, they’ll be going the way of Philadelphia 76ers swingman Paul George, who switched teams last offseason.
Jonathan Kuminga on his future with the Warriors as trade deadline/restricted free agency looms and he is set to miss at least three weeks: “I feel good. You never know what’s going to happen, but I’m pretty confident this is where I’m at.” pic.twitter.com/GnGYTqPUVW
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 6, 2025
Now, Kuminga hasn’t kicked up as much dust as Butler, George, or even Ingram. To this point in his career, his most dramatic comments have stemmed from being frustrated with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr. As he’s now being brought off the bench, he still might have gripes about his role. However, he’s still averaging 16.8 points per game on 45.9 percent shooting from the field this season.
Asked about his future in Golden State, the combo forward says he “feels good about where he’s at right now with everything going on.”
“You never know what’s going to happen but I’m pretty confident this is where I’m at,” he continues.
The Warriors’ Biggest Competitors
Kuminga has often been targeted by rival teams who engage in trade talks with Golden State. Yet, the Warriors have been resistant to the idea. They seemingly would only make said trade for a Godfather offer or if their house of cards came tumbling down.
With that being said, the Warriors are in more of a chaotic state than a stable one. At just about any point, frustrations could boil over. Teams who have been unable to pry Kuminga from Golden State are likely hoping for such a scenario. Time and time again, those types of untenable situations have led to an inevitable split. Frankly, the Warriors should know this as well as anyone after Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson‘s departures.
However, the biggest threats to Kuminga staying in Golden State are teams projected to have over $30 million in cap space in the offseason, as that was how much they were reportedly willing to pay him last summer. That leaves the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, and Charlotte Hornets.
Projected to have $91 million, the Nets will be able to sign him to a maximum contract. The Wizards are projected to have $40 million in cap space but that number could rise depending on what happens at the trade deadline. The same can be said for the Pelicans, who are projected to have $33.8 million in cap space. Lastly, the Hornets are projected to have $30.5 million in cap space.
As they have his Bird Rights, the Warriors could still outbid any of those teams. However, considering their behavior at the negotiating table last summer, there’s a distinct possibility that they won’t.
