The Golden State Warriors are facing the ultimate test — a Game 7 on the road against the Houston Rockets. With the season on the line and momentum no longer in their favor, head coach Steve Kerr is evaluating every option. That includes one player who’s been largely absent from the rotation: Jonathan Kuminga. In this postseason, the 22-year-old forward has become somewhat of a forgotten name, but that may change Sunday night.

After a promising regular season in which Kuminga averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, his role was completely diminished after the team acquired Jimmy Butler. Now, with the Warriors’ offense faltering and rotation consistency out the window, Kerr is openly considering deploying Kuminga for Game 7.

“100% he’s on the table,” Kerr said when asked if Kuminga might return to the floor. “We’ve kind of found a formula here in the latter part of the season… Then obviously the last two games have gone very poorly. We have to assess everything. Lineup combinations, starters, all of that we have to assess. We feel like we got a great chance to go down there and win Game 7.”

Kerr elaborated on the challenge of fitting Kuminga into a rotation that’s been tightened due to playoff urgency. “As I’ve made very clear, the arrival of Jimmy made the combinations much tougher for JK,” he admitted. “So that’s what’s been standing in his way.”

The issue isn’t Kuminga’s talent — it’s his fit. The Warriors rely on ball movement, spacing, and off-ball reads. Kuminga, whose game leans more isolation-heavy and thrives with the ball in his hands, often operates in the same driving lanes as Jimmy Butler. That overlap has created redundancy, and ultimately, it has led to Kuminga becoming a healthy scratch for four of the six games in this series.

“I thought he played well in Game 3 when we started him, especially defensively. He did a good job on Jalen Green,” Kerr noted. “I think that’s an area where he can help us. On-ball defense. The key is what’s the combination around him? We know they’re in zone an awful lot. Can we find the right combination with JK, with the shooting and spacing, and passing, we need to expose the zone? These are all the questions we’re asking.”

Can Kuminga prove to Kerr that he can be the potential difference maker?

Kuminga brings physicality and slashing ability that Golden State is sorely lacking. In a series where the Warriors have managed just 54 free-throw attempts across six games, with the majority coming from Jimmy Butler, Kuminga’s ability to generate contact stands out. His 41.4% free-throw rate was second only to Butler during the regular season, offering a rare skill that could break Houston’s zone schemes.

He also provides vertical athleticism and rebounding, areas where Golden State has struggled against Houston’s length and activity. In a potential win-or-go-home scenario, Kuminga could serve as the much-needed X-factor — someone who adds a new dynamic that forces the Rockets to adjust.

“Yeah, he cut out for it,” Draymond Green said. “He’s cut out for whatever we throw at him. He built right, the right way, for that.”

Still, the reality is Kuminga hasn’t seen the floor since Game 3. He shot 4-of-12 for 11 points in Game 2 when Butler got hurt and then had just seven points in 17 minutes in Game 3 as a starter. Those uneven performances, combined with the spacing issues alongside Butler, make it hard to envision him logging heavy minutes.

If Jonathan Kuminga does play in Game 7, it may be his final game in a Warriors jersey. Set to become a restricted free agent this summer, the young forward is unlikely to command a lucrative extension from Golden State, given the current roster makeup. His lack of postseason minutes has only fueled speculation about a potential sign-and-trade in the offseason.

Kuminga has missed over 30 games this season due to a severe ankle injury and has only played in 47 games overall. But even during that stretch, he was effective and growing. Unfortunately, timing — and a roster shake-up — changed everything.

Now, teams across the league are reportedly monitoring the situation closely. While the Warriors are still trying to push deeper into the playoffs, rival front offices are eyeing Kuminga as a potential offseason steal, especially if Golden State decides to retool around their core trio of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler.

Steve Kerr has already shown his willingness to tweak the rotation mid-series. He inserted Buddy Hield into the starting lineup in Game 3 in place of Moses Moody and started Gary Payton II over Brandin Podziemski in Game 6. With the offense in desperate need of a spark, there’s a logical case to give Kuminga a shot.

Whether it’s a few minutes to disrupt Houston’s defensive rhythm or a longer look to shift the game’s tempo, Kuminga may finally get the call he’s been waiting for.

After Game 3, Kuminga simply said, “I’ve stayed ready.” Game 7 could be his last opportunity to prove it — both to Steve Kerr and the rest of the NBA.