For the past five seasons, the Golden State Warriors have attempted to balance two separate timelines, maintaining a mini treasure trove of young talent while still focusing on competing for championships. Their plan failed miserably. The last big piece of the puzzle, Jonathan Kuminga, remains tethered to the Warriors by a string. Instead of claiming these players didn’t live up to their potential, Kendrick Perkins asks for some accountability from the Warriors.
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Golden State’s plan began after the 2019-20 season. Kevin Durant had signed with the Brooklyn Nets, and Klay Thompson missed the entire season recovering from an ACL injury. They went from competing in the NBA Finals to becoming the worst team in the Western Conference.
The Warriors eventually earned the second overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, selecting James Wiseman. In less than two seasons, they parted ways with the 7-foot big man. The following year, they had two lottery picks. Instead of trading them for a proven star, they selected Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga.
Despite Kuminga’s tremendous upside, he has yet to find a consistent role on the roster. It didn’t matter much in his rookie season, considering they went on to win the 2022 NBA championship. But the Warriors are now feeling the consequences of their actions.
“At what point are we going to hold the Golden State Warriors accountable?” Perkins said on the Road Trippin’ podcast. “If you have a guy like Jonathan Kuminga, one of the most athletic guys in the NBA, I believe he’s an elite talent that’s going to continue to get better.”
It wasn’t like Kuminga didn’t show flashes of greatness while with the Warriors. Before Golden State acquired Jimmy Butler in December, Kuminga averaged 21.0 points and 6.3 rebounds on 46.4% shooting from the field. That is excellent production from the fourth-year forward.
Unfortunately, once Butler arrived, Steve Kerr simply threw Kuminga to the wayside. Kerr gets plenty of credit for the Warriors’ championships, and rightfully so, but Perkins believes he shouldn’t be spared criticism.
“When it comes down to guys elevating, and you see a guy that has the potential to be a franchise guy, Steve Kerr is holding these guys back,” Perkins proclaimed.
Perkins’ gripes with Kerr come specifically with how he handled Kuminga’s minutes during the 2025 NBA playoffs. “He’s the one who decided to bench the man at the start of the postseason last year,” Perkins said.
It appears the relationship between Kuminga and the Warriors has reached the point of no return. Their future remains uncertain, but a decision will surely be made soon.
