Jonathan Kuminga gets DNP in Warriors' season finale against Clippers

If Jonathan Kuminga wants to fulfill his potential as the No. 7 overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, he may have to put in the work on the practice court or after games in an empty Chase Center. Or maybe even on another team.

The Golden State Warriors have been patiently waiting for Kuminga to finally make the leap into full-fledged stardom. The wait is over for head coach Steve Kerr, who no longer has the patience for the 22-year-old's inconsistent performances.

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On Sunday, the Warriors played their most important game of the campaign in their regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Clippers, needing a victory to clinch a playoff spot as the Western Conference's sixth seed. A loss would send Golden State to the play-in tournament as the No. 7 seed.

The fact Kuminga didn't log a single second in the Warriors' 124-119 overtime loss speaks volumes on where he stands with Kerr, who recently lamented about the offense losing its flow since Kuminga returned from an ankle injury.

Kuminga's stifling indecision — in which the ball sticks in his hands to bring the offense to a halt and visibly irk Stephen Curry — is no longer an issue if he's not on the floor. However, his absence subtracts Golden State's most athletic weapon to attack the basket.

"We've just found a group since Jimmy (Butler) got here that we're pretty comfortable with," said Kerr, who also didn't play forward Gui Santos against the Clippers.

"It doesn't mean they're out of the loop going forward," Kerr added. "It's just this is how this game played out."

Steve Kerr on why Jonathan Kuminga didn't play today:

"We've just found a group since Jimmy got here that we're pretty comfortable with... both [Gui Santos] and JK have been really impactful players for us. It doesn't mean they're out of the loop going forward, this is just how… pic.twitter.com/rl7ay3yfag
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 13, 2025

No matter how Kerr spins it, a late-season DNP is not a great sign for a fully healthy former lottery pick. It would be surprising if Kuminga got significant minutes in the Warriors' next biggest game of the season in Tuesday's 7 vs. 8 play-in game at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. Only an injury would probably get Kuminga back into the rotation.

A two-month injury absence put any further progress on hold for Kuminga, but Golden State's mid-season malaise occurred with him in the lineup. His biggest shortcomings occurred on the defensive end.

In the 17 games before he badly sprained his ankle, Kuminga registered a negative plus/minus nine times, including a minus-10 in a 10-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks and a minus-17 in a two-point defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers. In Year 4, he's also still an inconsistent 3-point shooter (30.5%) and an insufficient rebounder (4.6 boards per game) to be the 3-and-D wing he needs to be.

Kerr didn't render the final verdict on Kuminga's Warriors future on Sunday. The DNP represented the latest disappointing turn of his roller-coaster career in the Bay Area. And if Kuminga still doesn't have the confidence of his coach when he hits restricted free agency this offseason, negotiations with Golden State on a contract extension would be futile for both sides.

Steve Kerr makes bold call on Jonathan Kuminga in Warriors loss to Clippers

By Joe Lago | Apr 14, 2025