It’s been an up-and-down season for the Golden State Warriors. The team got off to a 4-1 start that included wins over the Lakers and Nuggets, but they’ve struggled with health and consistency since, and they dropped below .500 for the first time on Thursday night with a loss at Philadelphia.
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Surprisingly, the Dubs closed out their short road trip with two wins, first at Cleveland over the Cavs, and then again last night in a 123-91 pasting of the Bulls. Jimmy Butler returned last night, but there’s still no sign of Steph Curry, who’s been out since the day before Thanksgiving with an injured quad.
Keeping Golden State afloat has been a group effort, with some unlikely heroes. Pat Spencer has stepped up, and last night Brandin Podziemski led the team in points, rebounds, and assists. Jonathan Kuminga, who was a major part of that hot 4-1 start, has faded from the rotation, and after a 1-10 effort against the Cavs on Saturday, last night he received a DNP.
It’s been a roller coaster of a year for Kuminga and the Warriors. He fell out of Steve Kerr’s rotation late last season despite the team being banged up, stepped up in the playoffs when Steph was injured, but then after a long, contentious summer with much trade speculation, he ended up back in the Bay. He averaged 17.5 points in his first six games of this season, then has only gone above that number once since, as his minutes have substantially dropped.
To their credit, both Kerr and Kuminga have put on a good face about it all, even after last night’s DNP. Kerr said after the game that his team “has a lot of mouths to feed,” and he said that with Butler returning to the lineup, he liked the fit of guys like Gui Santos, Pat Spencer, and De’Anthony Melton alongside him.
Kuminga deflected attention from himself, saying that the team winning was what was most important.
Here’s Jonathan Kuminga’s full five-minute postgame availability on his DNP
“We just switched certain things. That’s all.”
“I’m not really sure (how long it lasts), but as long as things are working out there and we winning, I don’t see the point of switching anything.” pic.twitter.com/Ug6MCHMNsd
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 8, 2025
“We have a good relationship,” Kuminga said of him and Kerr. “We get to talk and figure out things. We don’t have any problems. I don’t have any problems. Things just didn’t go my way today. I’m going to stay happy, stay locked in, stay focused, stay positive.”
Credit to both of these guys for being professionals, but it’s difficult to imagine that Kuminga has a long-term future in Golden State, given the way he’s been yanked around. Kerr had said earlier in the year that the young forward had earned a permanent starting spot, but now he’s getting a DNP when Steph Curry isn’t even on the court? It just doesn’t make sense.
Kuminga can’t be traded until January 15th, but it seems very likely that sometime between then and the trade deadline, he’ll be on the move. He’s currently the fourth-highest paid player on the team, and if he’s not going to get minutes, that money could be better spent on someone who Kerr feels fits his rotation better.
Until then, the Warriors have to stay above water, especially until Steph gets back on the floor. The next couple of weeks will be a good test, as they face the Wolves, Blazers, Suns (twice), and Magic.
