A saga so messy that even Barack Obama was wondering what was really happening behind the scenes. Jonathan Kuminga, whom the Warriors drafted No 7 overall in 2021, never found his footing in the Golden State Warriors offense designed around Steph Curry. In fact, even Steve Kerr multiple items iterated that he couldn’t give the desired role to the Congolese forward. The entire summer was a back-and-forth of contract rumors, which got even the former President interested.

A few days ago, ESPN’s Wright Thompson did a piece on Kerr’s outlook before he signed the extension. According to that, Kerr spoke at a conference in Aspen, Colorado, last summer, where he was approached by close friend and former United States President Barack Obama. Tonight, he was asked about the conversation. The head coach was surprised and laughed hysterically, as he never expected this to be a topic of discussion.

The 60-year-old said, “That was when he was a free agent, that was last summer. We have a mutual friend, and we had dinner and literally walked up and said, ‘What’s gonna happen with Kuminga.’ He was talking about the contract.” Last summer, Jonathan Kuminga rejected multiple offers, and the Golden State Warriors made no favors as they rejected multiple trade talks. It was all down to the system that the head coach was using. Steve Kerr’s system relies on spacing, ball movement, and role clarity, and Kuminga thrives on a high-usage play system.

Before the summer last year, pairing Kuminga with Butler and Green in limited playoff minutes produced a -36 net rating across 105 minutes, while removing him and maintaining the same core resulted in a +180 rating over 940 minutes. After multiple attempts, the two parties reached a resolution when his October 1 qualifying offer was set to expire. He signed a two-year, $46.8 million contract with a club option for 2026-27. Everyone expected JK to get minutes again. But that was not the case.

His scoring average dropped to 12.1 points per game, and he appeared in only 20 games before being dropped from the rotation. Kuminga even put in a trade request on January 15, the first day he was available. Before the deadline, the murky saga came to an end when the Warriors traded to the Atlanta Hawks along with Buddy Hield in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis.

Steve Kerr will work on plans that he never made for Jonathan Kuminga

The Golden State has a chip on its shoulder with the No. 11 pick, and it could become a potential trade asset. This could reshape the roster, and the front office knows how important that value holds in one of the most anticipated and loaded draft classes. Amid the injury news, it is important that the Dub Nation actually sign someone with potential like Jonathan Kuminga, but he never got the chance to prove himself.

“It’s obvious where we are with the injuries to Moses [Moody] and Jimmy [Butler], you look at our depth on the wings, [the No. 11 pick] has to play. He’s gotta earn it, but we’re committed to the development of our young players,” said the Warriors head coach. Kerr was transparent in admitting his flaws in recent seasons. After the Jonathan Kuminga break-up, he has renewed his stance on using the draft for impact players.

Jimmy Butler will miss significant time before returning from a torn ACL. Moses Moody, who had a breakout season averaging 12.1 points, will also return late next year. So, now Kerr is ready to provide the opportunity that he never gave to JK.