Steve Kerr Urged to Use Jonathan Kuminga as Fan Favorite’s Replacement Amid Troubling Update

The Golden State Warriors’ offseason has been anything but quiet, and the tension is building. While the front office continues navigating free agency and extensions, fans are growing louder in their plea for clarity, particularly around one rising talent whose future remains murky. And in what feels like an extended game of poker, all eyes have shifted toward one decision that could define the Warriors’ direction not only this season but potentially for years: Jonathan Kuminga.

There’s a growing chorus, both inside and outside the organization, urging head coach Steve Kerr to finally make the move some supporters have wanted for months—to use Kuminga as the replacement for Jordan Poole. This transition seems logical. Poole’s departure last year, following a championship season and much-publicized locker room drama, left a scoring void, especially off the bench.

The original plan focused on Jimmy Butler shouldering some of the scoring pressure and Brandin Podziemski developing into a reliable secondary creator. Yet, with the current roster, there’s no clearer candidate to assume the “Poole role” than Kuminga. Coming off a season where he averaged 15.3 points per game and showed real development as a two-way threat, Kuminga finished strong, including a significant playoff run versus Minnesota. His performance looks like the foundation Golden State can build upon, not a player to hide behind aging veterans.

Yet, heading into his fifth NBA season, Kuminga still doesn’t have a locked-in role, much less the security of being a nightly closer. Kerr has made his priorities clear. “I’ve been asked to win,” he said in May on The TK Show. “And right now, [Kuminga]’s not a guy who I can say, I’m going to play 38 minutes with the roster we have — Steph, Jimmy and Draymond — and put the puzzle together that way and expect to win.”

But this perspective is not shared by most of the fanbase. A surge of mailbag questions and online discussions reflects a shared belief that if the Warriors are to make another run with their veteran core, Kuminga needs a legitimate opportunity—mirroring the path once given to Jordan Poole in 2022.

Jonathan Kuminga may be out

Here’s where the situation gets tricky. Kuminga might already be planning his exit. According to reporting from NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson, Kuminga is leaning toward accepting the $7.9 million qualifying offer, a step that would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and severely limit Golden State’s trade options.

This move, considered a strategic power play by Kuminga’s camp, could be disastrous for the Warriors. The organization reportedly offered him a two-year, $45 million contract with a team option in the second year, a structure that maintains team control and preserves trade flexibility. However, Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, rejected the offer, advocating for a player option instead. This would allow Kuminga to dictate his future if he isn’t given a significant role during the upcoming season.

Should Kuminga opt for the qualifying offer, Golden State loses leverage. His salary would be too low for major trade packages, he’d have veto power on any trades, and the Warriors would forfeit Bird Rights, making re-signing him without cap space nearly impossible.

Reportedly, Kuminga’s negotiating power is bolstered by offers from teams like Phoenix and Sacramento, organizations ready to make him a starter and structure deals with player options. Those teams floated appealing trade packages—Malik Monk and a protected first-round pick from the Kings, and assets like Royce O’Neale, Nick Richards, and picks from the Suns—but Golden State turned them all down.

This leaves the Warriors at a crossroads. Kuminga’s frustration is not rooted in money, but in a perceived lack of trust and opportunity. He is intent on avoiding a midseason trade that sees him used as a minor asset or enduring another year of uncertainty about his playing time. For Kuminga, it’s about having a defined, valued role.

All of this amplifies the pressure from Warriors fans calling for Steve Kerr to fully commit to Kuminga as an integral part of the roster. If the organization is earnest about maximizing the current core and retaining young talent, Kuminga needs to see tangible commitment, not just promises. The front office’s contract stance and trade negotiations currently send mixed signals—the coaching side voices hesitation about minutes, while the business side recognizes his asset value but hedges on security.

With training camp just four weeks away and the October 1 qualifying offer deadline looming, Golden State runs the risk of losing another dynamic young asset. Having already parted ways with Poole, and with Moses Moody’s future uncertain, the Warriors know that if Kuminga takes the QO and hits the market unrestricted in 2026, the franchise could be left once again lamenting lost opportunities.