Steve Kerr is no stranger to making difficult calls for the greater good. Last year during the Paris Olympics, he benched Jayson Tatum not once but twice—a decision that led to a ton of backlash for the head coach. But Kerr achieved his ultimate goal of bringing home the gold. Now, Kerr is facing a similar issue with the Warriors, and his latest victim is Jonathan Kuminga!

Yes, the young stud once projected to be the future face of the franchise just received back-to-back DNPs in two of the most important games in the Warriors’ season. First, Kerr sat him out entirely for Sunday’s Clippers clash. And last night, Kuminga was out of the rotation yet again in the crucial Play-in game against the Grizzlies.

Since Jimmy Butler’s arrival, Kerr has found it challenging to fit JK in the lineup because of their similar playing style. When asked if he has had any conversations with the youngster regarding his role going forward, the head coach remained tight-lipped and declined to answer. Well, that puts Kuminga’s Bay Area future in serious jeopardy as he is already in the final year of his contract, and many speculate him testing free agency this summer.

Moreover, his role could remain diminished in the upcoming playoffs as Butler revealed 32-year-old forward Gary Payton II’s expected contribution after last night’s game, “He’s gonna be a reason that we win a couple games in the playoffs.”

Further highlighting GPII’s impact, Jimmy said, “What I love most about GP is he makes sure everybody’s calm. He lets everybody know – Yeah, we gonna be just fine. We just got to get a stop, we got to get a bucket, we got to execute. He’ll take and make some big shots, for sure get a big-time dunk and get the crowd into the game and then guard whoever you ask him to guard.”

Last night, Payton had a solid all-around performance, finishing with 12 points and two rebounds. While it’s a great sign for the Warriors, this puts a huge question mark on Kuminga’s role in the playoffs. That’s because if GPII gets more playing time, then Kerr might not have enough minutes left to put JK in.

Amid the uncertainty, Draymond Green still has faith in the young forward.

Draymond Green makes bold claim about Jonathan Kuminga’s role in the Rockets series

With last night’s win, Stephen Curry and Co. clinched the seventh seed in the West. Now, it’s time for the next challenge—the Houston Rockets. Yes, Ime Udoka’s squad has been on fire all year and surprised everyone with their meteoric rise to success. So, while Kerr did not make his intentions clear about Kuminga’s role, Draymond is putting a lot of faith in the forward to contribute in the opening round series.

“He’ll contribute. He’s great. He’s getting his work in. That’s all you can do in that situation and get your work in. He will be meaningful for us in that series. I have zero doubt about that. I think the challenge for him is to stay mentally engaged as is for anyone in that situation. But I have zero doubt in my mind that he’s gonna help us in this series. He will 1000%,” the former DPOY boldly claimed during last night’s presser.

Well, the Rockets are a young and athletic team. So Kerr will need to match their level of energy and intensity. Sure enough, Kuminga would be the perfect piece in that situation, as he is both young and athletic. Despite his uncertain role, he averaged 15.3 points and nearly five rebounds this season. And Kerr could use his two-way presence to gain an edge against the Rockets.

Looks like Sunday’s game will determine how the rest of the series will pan out for JK. Thoughts?