The Jonathan Kuminga and Golden State Warriors saga is finally over in San Francisco. The Warriors had drafted a young 18-year-old Kuminga in the 2021 NBA Draft. Despite being seen as high on the talent scale, Kuminga didn’t get the elevation expected under Steve Kerr. Now that the Warriors finally shipped him to the Atlanta Hawks, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal gave the young star a reality check on national television.

With Kerr leading one of the greatest franchises in NBA history, arguably the greatest in the modern era, things looked bright for Kuminga. He had length and showed an early sign of being a scorer, at least behind Stephen Curry. But playing alongside a superstar like Curry, by default, diminishes the stature of young players like Kuminga. On Saturday, Shaq perfectly put into perspective why Kuminga couldn’t rise on the Warriors’ roster.

“Already the problem with us, I’m going to say us, because we’re all athletes, is that a lot of us athletes think we can be the man. Listen, you’re not going to be the man with Steph Curry on the team,” Shaq said on NBA on ESPN about Kuminga’s time with the Warriors. “You’re not going to be the man with Draymond Green on the team.”

Moreover, Shaq also disagreed with Chris Webber’s take that Kuminga “might be the man” on the Atlanta Hawks team. Despite the Hawks being without a certified superstar on the roster, Shaq didn’t consider young Kuminga to be a leader on his new team.

“So can he be the man here? And Chris and Kenny, is he that type of caliber player to be the man? I don’t think he is. I think he’s a great role player, but I don’t think he can be the man.”

The NBA never got to see Kuminga’s true potential. However, there were moments, like the 2025 Western Conference semifinals, that offered a glimpse of what he could become if Steve Kerr had shared his focus on developing the young player. But was it entirely Steve Kerr’s fault? Or was it bad timing?

Why did Jonathan Kuminga’s time with the Warriors not find its full potential?

When Steve Kerr took over the Warriors’ coaching job, he had two of the greatest shooters and one of the best defenders in NBA history. It’s not a knock on Kerr, and he handled the Warriors far better than expected. He took the team to a height that anyone barely imagined. However, there are still questions surrounding his approach towards developing Kuminga.

After Kuminga’s trade, a reporter asked Steve Kerr if he thought he could have done a better job in helping Kuminga grow as a player.

“I just think without going into too much detail, organizationally, the right path for us, for him, it was always tricky to navigate,” Kerr said. “And we all share in that, myself included. I’m not gonna go into detail, but he was undoubtedly put in some tough spots. Coming to a championship team his rookie year, a team that was continuing to try to compete at the highest level, and he got here with very little experience. That’s a tough thing to reconcile. I wish I had done a better job of making that happen.”

In 202o and 2021, the Warriors drafted James Wiseman and Kuminga, respectively. The No. 2 and the No. 7 in their drafts were widely being looked at as the next faces of the franchise in the post-Curry era. Then came 2022, when the Warriors surprised the NBA with their fourth title in the Curry era. What could have been two timelines now becomes one. Kerr shifted his focus to Curry in the quest for another title. Wiseman is now out of the NBA, and Kuminga’s last two seasons have been headlining the tabloids.

Before Onsi Saleh took over as the Hawks’ GM, the Warriors employed him in various positions. Saleh has known Kuminga for a few years now. In a new position, with the latest team and the trust of the GM, Kuminga’s career might soon approach a turning point with the Hawks.