The Golden State Warriors have gone 3-3 without fifth-year pro Jonathan Kuminga, who has been out for the past two weeks due to a bout of knee tendinitis. As he has an indeterminate timeline, the target date for his return is highly uncertain. In fact, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently admitted to not knowing when he’ll be back, saying that the 6-foot-8 forward wasn’t moving well.
Warriors Forward Jonathan Kuminga Flips The Script In Latest Injury Update
On Tuesday, Kuminga flipped the script, telling reporters that he’ll be back “soon” (h/t ESPN’s Anthony Slater).
Asked Jonathan Kuminga on the way out of the locker room last night about his return from knee tendinitis: “Soon,” he said. Didn’t give a specific date but sounded like his plan was to increase court activity this week. He’s missed the last six games.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 25, 2025
Slater notes that Kuminga declined to name a “specific date” for his return to the court. However, he “sounded like his plan was to increase court activity this week.” As a result, there should be tentative optimism that the 23-year-old will be suiting up in December.
Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
Praised for the strides he made towards playing a more team-oriented brand of basketball before being sidelined, the Warriors will undoubtedly be happy to have Kuminga back. With that being said, there’s a sense that all isn’t well in the Bay Area. That’s not just because they’re 10-9 nearly one-fourth of the way through the season, a record that has them eighth in the Western Conference standings.
A team that seems to point fingers whenever they hit adversity, Kuminga feels like the Warriors are scapegoating him, per Slater. This is due to Kerr removing him from the starting lineup, despite the apparent improvements he has made as a decision-maker and facilitator. Even teammate Jimmy Butler III is openly empathizing with him, stating that it’s a terrible feeling not to know whether an organization truly wants a player.
Yet, Kerr is still dissatisfied with the on-court geometry when Kuminga shares the floor with Butler and Draymond Green. The fans aren’t buying that anymore. Nevertheless, they’re not the one with the power to make rotation decisions. Thus, a trade headlined by the former top-10 pick appears all but inevitable.
Bearing that in mind, if a deal does go down, there’s already a team that’s favored to be Kuminga’s next home. As they were in hot pursuit of the Congolese scorer this past offseason, the Sacramento Kings are perceived as the team most likely to take him off the Warriors’ hands if he’s available. The Kings’ early-season struggles could make them even more inclined to complete such a trade.
