Why Jonathan Kuminga's Injury Could Hurt His Long-term Fit in Golden State

Jonathan Kuminga remains out for the Golden State Warriors. He is dealing with knee soreness and is about to miss his third game in a row. While Kuminga started the season off red hot, he then cooled off, and now this injury has him at risk of falling out of the rotation. 

Kuminga’s fit in Golden State has always been a bit of an issue. His low basketball IQ has made him struggle to find his place within the Warriors' read-and-react offensive system. There have also been questions about his attitude and effort to do the little things. 

This season started with Kuminga looking like he had finally figured it all out. Then he fell back into his old ways and lost his spot in the starting lineup as the Warriors had a couple of tough losses. 

Then his knee started to cause him problems, and at the worst moment, he had to miss some key games. 

What’s worse for Kuminga is that the Warriors have played great without him. They’ve moved Moses Moody into the starting lineup and have seen their spacing and defense vastly improve. Kerr recently said they do not plan to take Moody out of that starting lineup anytime soon.

So while Kuminga did show some nice moments this season, when the Warriors are winning without him, he looks as expendable as ever. 

Maybe that’s a good thing for Kuminga. This offseason, he made it clear he didn’t want to return to Golden State. Now that the Warriors have proven once again they don’t need him to win, he could find himself on the trade block when he is eligible to be traded on December 15.