It is a crossroads moment for Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors. The explosive 22-year-old forward is no longer content with flashes of brilliance and bench minutes. He wants to lead, and as free agency looms, he is making that clear to anyone listening. 

In a recent interview with The Athletic Kuminga laid it all out. The goal is not just to be a role player or even a starter. He wants the keys. “Aiming to be an All-Star. Multiple times. Aiming to be great”. For the Warriors, that becomes difficult, because as much as the team values his upside, they may not be ready or able to offer him the role he craves. On Monday, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. met with reports and addressed Kuminga’s uncertain future. “He’s a main priority,” Dunleavy said. But he did not commit to what that meant in terms of a contract or role. 

Kuminga is entering restricted free agency after not securing an extension before the 2024-25 season. And although he flashed legitimate star level ability, especially when Stephen Curry went down in the playoffs, he remains a question mark in Steve Kerr’s system. Which has never fully committed to giving him consistent minutes. @BallReportX posted on X formerly Twitter, “Jonathan Kuminga feels he’s ready to go somewhere else and be one of the main guys, per @ShamsCharania.” 

Averaging at 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in just under 26 minutes a game this past season, Kuminga showed serious growth. Especially after missing 31 games with an ankle injury, in a team that acquired Jimmy Butler, a move that significantly shifted rotations and scoring hierarchies. That trade brought a new dynamic to the Warriors, forming a trio with Steph Curry, and Draymond Green that’s earning over $170M next year. It put Kuminga squarely behind two alpha scorers and a franchise legend in the pecking order. 

For the Warriors, this is a complicated time, as they believe they could have made a serious run for the title. If Curry had not gone down in the second round. Butler was not able to carry the offense alone. Yet in the same playoff window, Kuminga forced his way back into the spotlight with four monster games, scoring 18, 30, 23, and 26 points on 55% shooting. The Timberwolves could not contain him, and he lived in the free throw line. That was a statement. But even after that, it does not seem like the Warriors’s play center around him, and Kuminga sees the writing on the wall. Meanwhile, Draymond Green seems to be already making his own calls to the front office. 

What does Draymond Green want the Warriors front office to consider?

Draymond Green has never been one to bite his tongue. And fresh off another playoff heartbreak, he has been vocal. And not just about the loss, but about what comes next. ““I think. You know? Like we added, Jimmy, I think that was the biggest thing that needed to happen. Now, we got that. Now you can tool them around that,” said Green. “You know our team was full around Steph. Now you know how Jimmy looks in the system, you know how Jimmy likes to play. You can also tune around that as well”. His message? Well, the foundation is set. Curry and Butler are the pillars. Now the front office needs to get the right players around them. Guys who fit into their established system and roles. 

But Draymond also acknowledged the complexity of free agency. “Trying to court people that make the best offer, and you don’t always know what it is right. Like, for some guys, it could be the highest dollar. Most other guys that could be totally different.” The franchise seems to be in alignment with Draymond’s thinking. If Kuminga can’t accept the role of the secondary defender in a spacing-constrained lineup, then maybe it’s time to look elsewhere.

The Warriors have tough decisions ahead. Kuminga has shown enough for other teams to see the star in him. The Warrior, on the other hand, is built around established stars and needs complementary pieces. But that means they also risk letting a potential future All-Star go elsewhere and break out, much like Jordan Poole did in spurts before them.