The Golden State Warriors’ uneven season continued Thursday with another loss, this time to the Phoenix Suns. The defeat dropped them to ninth in the Western Conference at 13-15, underscoring their ongoing struggles. While multiple issues have fueled the slump, head coach Steve Kerr pointed to one primary concern that stands above the rest. Spacing.

“Well, a lot of that comes down to the combinations that we put on the floor. One of the reasons I’m starting Quentin Post is because we don’t want Draymond to play the five all the time. It’s a lot for him to handle,” Kerr told Tom Tolbert.

Although the championship-winning head coach did not say it directly, he stated that the lack of depth within the squad, especially at the center position, is creating issues for the Warriors.

“Quentin is a floor spacer. He’s going to be beyond the three-point line if the other team has their center on him; that pulls that center away from the hoop, it creates more spacing. But that also means Draymond probably needs to be down in the dunker.”

“If not setting a screen to keep his guy occupied. And so these are all little nuances that come into play. When you have different combinations and different lineups, a lot of times you don’t end up with enough of one thing or the other, whether it’s spacing, size, or shooting.”

The Warriors are over-reliant on the likes of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. While both have performed well so far, they haven’t been able to guide their team across the finish line several times.

“That’s where we are right now. We’re a little bit in between. We were not finding enough spacing within the five-man combinations that we put out there. And so as a result, we’re far too dependent on Steph and Jimmy. And we’re obviously trying to solve that,” Kerr concluded.

Obviously, it’s neither Curry nor Butler’s fault that the Warriors are stuck in this situation. Nonetheless, they do need to get out of it as soon as possible, otherwise it might be too late and the season might slip away from their hands. And the only solution to this issue is a trade. The Dubs need a center that can bolster their front court, and their hunt for one could be aided by Jonathan Kuminga’s exit.

Steve Kerr clears his stance on the Jonathan Kuminga situation

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is yet again one of the biggest names on the NBA trade block. The 23-year-old, who managed to break into the starting five, is now seeing his role fluctuate once again, and his relationship with head coach Steve Kerr remains lukewarm. Amid all this, plus the Dubs’ up-and-down start to the season, it seems like JK’s future resides somewhere else.

On Thursday, Kuminga’s three-game benching streak ended when he came onto the court for 10 minutes. However, he finished the night with only 2 points, 4 rebounds, and an assist, as the Warriors narrowly lost to the Phoenix Suns 99-98. After that poor cameo off the bench, Steve Kerr indicated that the Dubs might be looking to trade him once he becomes trade-eligible on January 15th.

“I mean, everybody wants honesty; they don’t want to be pandered to. They want to know what’s what, but you have to deliver those messages with some empathy,” Kerr said.

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“It’s a tough spot to be in. He’s got two little girls at home. He’s been here five years. Wiggs was in this exact boat a year ago, and Wiggs actually was about to have his third child right at the trade deadline, and his name was floating out there.”

Kerr revealed how now-Heat star Andrew Wiggins was in a similar situation but found a way out. He further stressed the fact that while he tries to be as upfront as possible with his players, that doesn’t ease the pressure off of them. That’s exactly what’s happening with Kuminga, who doesn’t know where he’ll end up at the end of this saga but needs to keep his patience.

“But it doesn’t make it any easier when you feel like you’re being chipped off and you have to pack up your family and go. It’s hard. And I just think it’s important to acknowledge that to the players and try to understand that part of the business,” Kerr concluded while speaking on the Tom Tolbert Show.

No matter how harsh it might look from the outside, trading Kuminga might be the best way forward for both parties. While there’s not much information about who might be interested in the youngster, if the Warriors do get a reasonable offer from which they can benefit and bolster their frontcourt, they should seriously consider it. Meanwhile, we wait and watch how this situation develops.