The offseason means different things to different NBA players. Take the Lakers at the turn of the century. Kobe Bryant saw it as an opportunity to grow his skillset and return to the next season with a deeper bag. On the other hand, Shaquille O’Neal famously wouldn’t even get surgery during the offseason. Thankfully, for the Golden State Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga’s mindset seems more aligned with Kobe’s. And he’s chosen a surprising partner to help him improve his bag, even as rumors of him leaving the Dubs grow stronger.

See, Jonathan Kuminga came under some fire this season for his performances. His head coach, Steve Kerr, was not a fan of the 23-year-old’s decision-making on the court. And fans seemed to think that Kuminga, despite his athleticism, just didn’t have what it takes to play in a team as cerebral as the Dubs. But it seems he wants to change the narrative by picking up some new tricks while also imparting some wisdom onto a younger player.

Kuminga was recently spotted working with one of the brightest prospects in the country — AJ Dybantsa. AJ has been ranked No. 1 among high school prospects for the longest time. And now, he’s about to begin life as a freshman at BYU. So perhaps he saw a workout with Kuminga as the best way to get ahead of the curve. And Kuminga found a new dancing partner to push him to the next level.

Jonathan seemed to enjoy practicing with the 19-year-old, posting it on his Instagram. And Dybantsa seemed to reciprocate, sharing the post on his story with the caption, “jkeeeezy”. The two seem to be becoming friends. And with the Dubs having a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, perhaps it’s not a bad thing to have Kuminga on good terms with AJ Dybantsa.

However, this will only come into play if Kuminga stays with the Dubs. And according to recent reports, Kuminga staying in the Bay Area till 2026 may be a real possibility.

The Dubs might re-sign Jonathan Kuminga in free agency

Jonathan Kuminga will become a restricted free agent soon. And there won’t be a dearth of suitors for his signature. But from NBC Soorts’ Monte Pool’s report, it seems the Dubs may be one of those suitors. He noted that the consensus around the league is that they will attempt to retain Kuminga’s services by signing him as a free agent heading into the 2025-25 season. But this move might not stick.

“The scuttlebutt around the NBA is that the Warriors will very likely find a way to hang onto JK. It doesn’t mean he’s going to be a long-term answer. They can just move him later,” said Poole. So it seems not much has changed despite the Golden State Warriors wanting to retain Kuminga.

Even if they do re-sign him, the Dubs still seem gun-shy in making Jonathan Kuminga a part of their plans moving forward. Now, we know that Warriors owner Joe Lacob is a huge fan of the player. So, it may be Kerr himself who’s undecided on whether he wants Kuminga as a part of his team in the near future.

But who knows? Perhaps JK comes back in the 2025/26 season with a deeper bag and better decision-making. That, coupled with him playing agent for the Dubs may end up giving them enough reason to keep him around.