After half a season of frustration and tension towards each other, Jonathan Kuminga and Steve Kerr have finally parted ways. Earlier this year, there was a lot of speculation that the Golden State Warriors had intentions of letting go of the young wing.
Ultimately, the trade came to fruition when the Warriors reached out to the Atlanta Hawks at the last minute for Kristaps Porziņģis. Kuminga headlined the Warriors’ deal and was packaged with Buddy Hield. While it’s safe to say the drama between Kerr and Kuminga has finally come to a close, apparently, things got ugly behind the scenes leading up to the split, according to a Warriors insider.
Warriors Insider Reveals How Things Got Ugly Between Steve Kerr and Jonathan Kuminga
Before getting traded to the Hawks on the day of the deadline, apparently, Kerr and Kuminga got at each other’s throats earlier this season. Warriors insider Anthony Slater reported that the head coach and the young forward expressed their frustrations toward each other.
It started when the Warriors were eliminated from the NBA Cup. During the break, they had to give way for the Cup games. Kuminga shared with reporters that Kerr has been holding him back his whole career and feels it’s because of his head coach that he can’t showcase his true potential.
Apparently, news of his sentiments reached Kerr, which led to a meeting between the two. Slater reported that both parties expressed their frustrations, which ultimately led to a yelling match. Kerr even ended up hitting the whiteboard to release his anger towards the situation.
“The meeting ended with Kerr slamming his whiteboard in frustration,” Slater wrote. “Kuminga, incidentally, then went out and delivered what Kerr would later describe as two of the most passionate practices he’d seen from him, running the floor, attacking the paint, defending with force.”
Ultimately, the Warriors were forced to grant Kuminga’s trade request. While the intention was to wait for an opportunity to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, even if it meant waiting until this summer, it seems the Warriors’ front office didn’t want any more drama heading into the second half of the season.
Golden State is currently in eighth place in the Western Conference with a 29-25 record. We’ll have to wait until after the All-Star break to see if the Warriors can still break into the playoff picture and skip the Play-In Tournament.
