The Golden State Warriors seem to be walking on tiptoes around Jonathan Kuminga. The deadline arrived and left, and JK still does not have a rookie contract extension, unlike Moses Moody. It was under such circumstances that Steve Kerr pulled another move last night in the Dubs’ thrilling win over the Pelicans – benching Kuminga. Needless to say, it immediately sparked trade rumors out of the Bay Area. Add his comments ahead of the matchup and post-game, and matters looked a lot more muddled.

And now, Bay Area veteran Monte Poole has a concerning statement to make. “The Warriors don’t still 100% 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 that Jonathan Kuminga is going to be one of their future All-Stars. They think he can be, but they don’t 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄.”

There is no doubt that Jonathan Kuminga has star potential, and the Golden State believes that. However, the organization remains cautious in its expectations because, while JK has shown flashes of exceptional talent, his development is ongoing, and the hooper has not yet consistently demonstrated the high level of play required for an All-Star career.

The uncertainty largely revolves around his ability to refine his skills, build experience, and consistently impact the game in ways that contribute to winning. We saw that spectacular impact last night. Jonathan Kuminga, despite coming off the bench, was a key piece (17 points, 3 assists) in leading the shorthanded Dubs to topple the dual threat of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

While the Warriors seem to be optimistic about his future, they recognize that there is still a significant developmental journey ahead, before they can confidently project him as a future All-Star. And perhaps that’s what stopping them from extending his contract.

That said, benching him at a time when both Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins were sidelined seemed to have sparked the outrage.

The ‘Jonathan Kuminga benching controversy’

As Shams Charania wrote in his tweet, it was an “intriguing development in a fourth season” to bench a player the Warriors reportedly consider a cornerstone of the franchise. Kuminga himself wasn’t too pleased with the development. Talking to Danny Emerman of Bay Area News Group, the 22-year-old remarked, “Not the first time things like that happened. … I’m not the coach. It’s his decision.”

He also pointed out that Kerr hadn’t spoken to him about the move at that point. But the post-game presser with the Warriors coach turned out to be a different story. The 59-year-old did indeed have a chat with the athletic forward. And it was one of reassurance, explaining to JK that letting him come off the bench was more of a strategic adjustment.

Per Anthony Slater, Steve Kerr said, “Without Steph and Wiggs, to me, it didn’t make sense to start those three bigs without those guards.” He figured it made more sense to have Buddy Hield and Moses Moody with the starting five to create better spacing. It checks out, too, since both of them are shooting over 50% from three to start the season, while Kuminga’s only hitting 16%!

Interestingly, Kuminga, in a chat with Kendra Andrews of ESPN, revealed that he was notified of the decision via a text.

“It wasn’t my decision. I got a text, this is how it’s going to go, this is who it’s going to be, and I went with it. … This is the decision of the coach, and we will follow what he’s going to do.”

While the hooper may not have been thrilled by the decision, Jonathan Kuminga’s response reflects a level of professionalism and patience as he adapts to the demands of a roster constantly fine-tuning its approach. Hopefully, it will be enough to get that extension.