It was on Saturday that the Warriors suffered a shocking blowout loss to the Spurs. A major reason was that they were playing without Jonathan Kuminga, who was out with an illness. However, Steve Kerr assured after the tough loss that it was nothing serious, “I think he’s fine. He just fell sick before the game.” And the head coach even revealed that JK would warm up before his final status is determined for tonight’s Nets clash. But it looks like Kuminga has not recovered completely despite the positive update, as he has been ruled out yet again.

Yes, the star forward will miss his second straight game with an illness. Initially questionable for the game, he has now been downgraded to out with fewer than 30 minutes remaining before tipoff.

That’s a massive blow for his team, who are already dealing with injury woes as De’Anthony Melton recently got ruled out for the season due to an ACL surgery. Kuminga’s illness only adds to the concerns. Yes, Kerr has demoted him from the starting lineup to an off-the-bench player. But JK has embraced that role and excelled in it. Despite his reduced minutes from 26.4 minutes last season to 22.7 minutes this season, the forward is averaging 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 45/31/61 shooting from the field.

Even Kerr acknowledged his impact off the bench, “We need JK’s force and power, and frankly, we need it more off the bench than we do in the starting lineup. So, I love what I’m seeing.” Sure enough, the Warriors’ depth will get affected with Kuminga’s absence, which was also evident in the Spurs encounter. Their bench players combined for only 36 points on Saturday. And that could be a problem once again tonight.

Whenever Kuminga makes his return from the illness, he is likely to continue coming off the bench. Obviously, Kerr would not want to change the winning formula as his team sits on top of the West standings. But the head coach had high praise for the forward for taking the change well.

“He’s handling it great. He obviously wants to start. Everybody wants to start. But that hasn’t impacted his effort and his energy at all. In fact, I think he’s looked even better since we’ve brought him off the bench. I think it suits him well with this team. And so, until things change, we’ll keep going with this, but I love what we’re seeing from JK,” Kerr had said.

Meanwhile, Kuminga has also kept a positive approach throughout the whole ordeal, “It don’t matter. We all still playing out there. It don’t really matter. It’s just going out there and being a professional and playing as hard as you can.” Well, Kuminga’s willingness to adjust to any role he is put in will work in his favor once his contract negotiations begin.

Although he was eligible for an extension this summer, the Warriors could not reach an agreement as there was a discrepancy in his expectations and what was being offered. And next offseason will determine Kuminga’s future in the Bay Area. But a lot has been happening around that.

What does the future hold for Jonathan Kuminga?

According to the Athletic’s Sam Amick and John Hollinger, rival NBA executives believe the Warriors are “more willing than ever” to include Jonathan Kuminga in a trade and they have their eyes on Jimmy Butler if the Miami Heat decide to move the six-time All-Star. The Warriors have been reluctant to include Kuminga in any trade for a potential star at this point, but there are some indications their feelings might be changing.

Perhaps the biggest hint of this was that Golden State did not to give Kuminga an extension before the deadline for players to sign new deals passed on October 21. As reported by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, the Warriors and Kuminga “were never all that close” on a new deal even though the team was offering him around $30 million per season. A full rookie max contract was valued at $224 million over five years. Meanwhile, there is an interesting twist in the mix.

According to Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes, Kuminga could be an option for the Nets in a trade. “Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors were far apart on extension negotiations, and while it’s too early to say there’s enough bad blood there to trigger a breakup, this is a situation the Brooklyn Nets need to monitor.” Hughes writes.

“Sure, the Warriors have match rights if Kuminga finishes the season with them and heads into restricted free agency, but it’s possible there’s a fracture large enough in the relationship to make an in-season trade the cleanest solution. An elite athlete who could develop into an All-Star, the 22-year-old could immediately become a cornerstone in Brooklyn,” he further added.

If Kuminga played with the Nets, he would likely be inserted into the starting lineup and be a secondary playmaker next to Cam Thomas. While the matter is brewing in the sidelines, for the timebeing, the Warriors would be hoping for his speedy recovery so that he returns to the lineup and leads the second unit.