2021 Lottery Pick Re-signs with the Warriors

Jonathan Kuminga’s journey with the Golden State Warriors can be described as shaky and inconsistent. The former seventh overall pick struggled to play with the team’s star players and has not lived up to the expectations of being a top player selected with one of the top picks in the draft. Yet, last season, there was a glimpse of what he could be as he showcased some of the skills that made him into the player that he was coming out of the G-League in 2021. Today, it was reported that Kuminga has resigned with the Warriors on a two-year, $48.5 million contract. Ending a long summer stalemate, the former seventh overall pick averaged 15 points on 48 percent shooting this past season, but only played in 47 games. As mentioned above, he never found his footing in the Warriors' offense playing with perennial all-stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green. Many fans have wondered what Kuminga could have been as he came to the Warriors with so much promise, but was ultimately more of a bench player who sometimes could not get on the floor.

This past season, Kuminga was having the best season of his career before suffering a right ankle injury, which sidelined him for 31 games. A notable highlight of his play before he got hurt was that he scored 34 points in back-to-back games against the Clippers and Suns. Once Kuminga came back, he ultimately did not fit in the rotation with the Warriors due to the acquisition of Jimmy Butler. The 22-year-old struggled to find an offensive chemistry with Butler and other players, and his presence created spacing issues as well. However, that all changed when Curry went down with a hamstring injury in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Kuminga saw an increased role in Games Three, Four, and Five in the series, with his most notable performance coming in Game Three when he scored 30 points and shot 11 for 18 from the field. Ultimately, the Warriors lost in five games to the Timberwolves and were sent home. Since then, rumors have been swirling about Kuminga coming back to the Warriors next season. While being a restricted free agent, he could have gotten an offer from a team, but the Warriors have the option to either match any offer he gets or choose to move on from him. The Warriors have said that they value Kuminga, but his return has to be a “two-way street.” Now back in Golden State, the coaching staff will have to figure out how he fits with Curry, Green, and Butler.