The Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have been at an impasse for what feels like two seasons. Fingers have been pointed in both directions. Each side played the blame game as to why the seventh overall pick in the 2021 Draft hadn’t yet reached his full potential. Kuminga has shown flashes but not enough to secure the type of contract he sought this summer.
And yet, after months of publicly drawn-out negotiations, the two sides ultimately agreed on a two-year, $46 million contract with a team option for the second year. Even with the deal in hand, Kuminga’s future in Golden State seemed uncertain… until Tuesday night.
To many people’s surprise, with Moses Moody injured, the Warriors started Kuminga alongside Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Brandin Podziemski — a lineup that played just 13 minutes together last season. Kuminga and Butler were particularly volatile alongside one another last year. They left little to no spacing for the other and operated in the same areas of the floor, resulting in a minus-4.45 net rating during 125 minutes together.
But against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kuminga’s game blossomed. He put up an efficient 17 points on 11 shots, knocked down four threes, added nine rebounds and dished out six assists while taking on the primary assignment of guarding Luka Doncic.
It was the first time across Kuminga’s four-year (and one game) career he had at least eight rebounds, five assists and four threes in a single game.
It’s a massive development if this is the version of Kuminga the Warriors are getting in 2025-26.
A Better Approach
Of course, the 3-point shooting from Kuminga is a big selling point in his performance. It’s hard to take too much away from one game but it is encouraging he attempted six shots beyond the arc. Prior to Tuesday, he had only attempted six or more threes 13 times in his career.
If this trend persists, it would be a huge boon for the spacing of the Warriors’ small-ball lineups. You can feasibly put Green, Butler and Kuminga on the floor together more often if one of them is reliably knocking down outside shots.
But more than the shooting, Kuminga’s process offensively was outstanding. The six assists indicate how willing he was to move the ball when he didn’t have any advantage. In the past, Kuminga would often break the flow of the Warriors’ motion offense to isolate and try to score on his own.
Tuesday night, he found a way to maintain his aggression and still be cognizant of those around him. Instead of taking it all the way in transition, he found Butler on a lob then Curry trailing for a three. Instead of barreling into two defenders on an isolation, he attacked the basket, drew help and fed Podziemski for an open three.
On the play below, he drives, draws the help defender and dishes a last-second pass to Al Horford for an easy layup — leveraging his scoring ability and athleticism to be an additive playmaker.
I love that Kuminga is making these types of passes now. pic.twitter.com/9KeEoYqSss
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 22, 2025
Even off the ball, Kuminga is working within the flow of the Warriors’ system to weaponize his gravity and athleticism in a way he’s only shown flashes of previously. Here, Golden State runs its patented split action with Curry and Kuminga, who gets an easy basket off a timely cut.
Nice cut and finish by JK pic.twitter.com/wgQdB7AE8M
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 22, 2025
Similarly, watch Kuminga and Curry run a pick-and-roll, with Kuminga’s roll gravity forcing Deandre Ayton to shade off of Curry, giving the superstar guard daylight to settle into a floater.
Kuminga rolling gravity pic.twitter.com/UVosntYMNY
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 22, 2025
Even on possessions where the Warriors didn’t score, you felt Kuminga’s activity and presence. It was only amplified by the fact he knocked down his threes and defended at a high level.
Look at this activity from JK, man https://t.co/lJyeaTX1S4 pic.twitter.com/MN27oO4hSU
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) October 22, 2025
The Next Step
One game is not enough. Kuminga will have to prove he can do this consistently against better, more athletic competition than the Lakers, which are sorely depleted in that department. This needs to be the start of a trend, one in which Kuminga realizes his full potential can be reached if he adheres to the Warriors’ style offensively and continues thriving as a scorer and finisher with his athletic tools.
Perhaps, being placed in the starting lineup was a vote of confidence in Kuminga’s growth and abilities from the Warriors. There’s no question they’ll be better off if this version of Kuminga is part of their long-term plans.
Maybe, both sides turned a new leaf Tuesday.
