The Jonathan Kuminga trade saga has been one of the defining storylines of the season for the Golden State Warriors, and it feels like nothing has gone right. Fingers have been pointed all across the organization and the roster in an effort to find a scapegoat, and now, one voice believes the fault lies with head coach Steve Kerr.

“Steve Kerr is the problem,” Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins said on the Road Trippin’ podcast. “When you talk about teams that are trying to compete for a title… all those organizations are set up for the now and the future. The Warriors… There’s no future. Which goes back to Steve Kerr and his patience with young players.”

Perkins referenced the well-known idea that Kerr struggles to develop younger talent, a weakness that has consistently plagued the Warriors, even in their heyday. Now, as veteran stars Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler grow older, that weakness becomes much more magnified.

The former Boston Celtics center also highlighted how it never seems like the complaints about Kuminga come from his on-court partners. Curry openly told reporters that Kuminga’s trade request wasn’t a “distraction.” Green focused on the forward’s positive attitude despite the circumstances both after games and on his podcast. Butler told reporters he wants “JK to be happy,” while wishing the best for him.

None of these seem like the Warriors locker room is tired of or has friction with Kuminga, which only leaves on person to Perkins: the head coach. Kuminga has been out of the team’s rotation for over a month, and according to many reports over the years, Kerr did not want the Warriors to select Kuminga in the 2021 draft.

Kendrick Perkins Uses a Familiar Example to Explain What Happens When Trust Comes Too Late

To make his point about Jonathan Kuminga and Steve Kerr, Kendrick Perkins drew a comparison to ESPN colleague and former Denver Nuggets head coach, Mike Malone, and highlighted one player he coached during his time with the team: Peyton Watson.

Watson, the 30th pick in the 2022 draft, was viewed as a energetic, defensive-heavy piece who played limited minutes on a contender that was looking for depth, but never ended up using any.

“Look at the numbers that he’s putting up with Denver right now because he’s getting the opportunity,” Perkins said, highlighting Watson’s impact and recent breakout. “He didn’t get that opportunity with Coach Malone, right? For whatever reason. But what I’m saying is it goes a long way when your coaches believe in you.”

Malone was fired before Denver’s playoff run last year, and under new head coach David Adelman this season, Watson has taken a huge leap forward. Particularly, he has been a revelation in the absence of MVP favorite Nikola Jokic, who was injured earlier this season.

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Watson has averaged 23.9 points per game on 51% from the field and 43.8% from three over the games Jokic has missed with the injury, helping lead the Nuggets to a 6-3 record in those matchups. Perhaps this could’ve been how the Jonathan Kuminga arc went for the Warriors if circumstances were different.