Days are over when every NBA fan waited for an update from the Golden State Warriors on JK. On September 30, he agreed to a 2-year, $48.5 million contract with the Dubs. Retaining him on the team means adding more depth to the already deep roster for the 2025-26 season. However, with a core aged 35 or above, Kuminga will play a crucial role for the Warriors. Perhaps he could become someone like Kawhi Leonard from the 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs era. But for that, he needs to be himself, per Draymond Green.

“It’s a completely different look than what you’re getting all the time,” Draymond Green said. “That’s definitely beneficial, and that’s why we need JK to be JK, what he’s capable of being. It’s on us to figure out how to unlock him.” Can Kuminga step into the Warriors’ 2025-26 story the way Kawhi Leonard once flipped the script for the 2013-14 Spurs?

“One of the most important things about that team was they never would beat themselves,” he said. “You had to f—— beat them. They would just stay the course, stay steady. Then Kawhi would come off the bench, and it was like, ‘Uh-oh. Now we’ve really got to buckle up.’” This was Draymond Green, who once admired the Spurs’ steady dominance and how Leonard’s burst of energy lifted them.

This Warriors depth offsets age recalls the 2014 Spurs, where 11 players averaged at least 13 minutes, and Parker led with 16.7 points. Six scored in double figures, and even three earned Sixth Man votes. Building on those admirations, the Warriors, too, can have a good run this time. They have gone all in, trading for Jimmy Butler in February, signing Al Horford, and re-signing Jonathan Kuminga after the drama.

Naturally, HC Steve Kerr sees this Warriors squad as one of his deepest, thanks to additions of De’Anthony Melton and Seth Curry. Plus, Kerr is expecting growth from Kuminga, Podziemski, and Moody. Veterans Buddy Hield, Gary Payton II, and Quinten Post add to that. And with Curry at 37, they are chasing one more title in win-now mode. History shows only Jordan and Curry thrived as leading scorers in their mid-30s, a fact Draymond Green calls “very fitting.”

But can the Golden State evolve without unraveling? After an offseason clouded by speculation and a contract holdout, Kuminga steps in with honesty, playing to prove his place in Steve Kerr’s vision and the team’s future.

Amid Draymond Green’s callout, new insights emerge on Jonathan Kuminga’s equation with Steve Kerr

Jonathan Kuminga opened up to Marc J Spears about his relationship with Steve Kerr, revealing a mix of patience and exhaustion. “I don’t ask [Kerr] about roles because I know what he is going to tell me. I don’t waste my energy; I choose not to ask because nobody is going to tell me. It’s whatever,” he said. For Kuminga, the silence isn’t rebellion, it’s recognition. He sees clarity won’t come easily, so adapting is his only way forward.

That evolution is shaping how Kuminga now views his game. Kuminga admitted, “You just have to find ways to do things when you get out there. Make plays, defend. I don’t have a consistent role. I just play a role where I make sure I play defense and run the floor.” It reflects growth, as he embraces the little things. Hustle, stops, and fast breaks may finally cement his place in a crowded Warriors rotation.

Simply put, Jonathan Kuminga is the wild card in Golden State’s poker game. The roster is stacked, the clock is ticking, and the echoes of dynasties past are loud. Yet all eyes swing to JK, the spark they cannot script. If he explodes the way the Spurs once unleashed Kawhi, the Dubs may dance again. If not, the story rewrites itself.