Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, did not have the most favorable assessment of his former mentee, Jonathan Kuminga, who played for the team from 2021 to 2026. He felt the Congolese forward was unable to fully develop on a championship-caliber team and expressed hope that he would grow in a new environment this season.
Steve Kerr Reflects on Jonathan Kuminga’s Development With the Warriors
Kuminga joined the Warriors squad as the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. In his first career start, the forward posted a then-career-high in a loss to the Toronto Raptors and carried that momentum into the Championship game, helping his team to glory over the Boston Celtics. His performance against the Hawks in 2024 tied Chris Mullin’s franchise record.
He missed 31 games at the beginning of 2025 due to a sprained ankle, and later that year, he was ejected for arguing with a referee, receiving a technical foul. A fine of $35,000 also followed.
However, it was not solely that incident that led to Kuminga being traded to the Atlanta Hawks. As a young player with downhill scoring and isolation tendencies, he struggled to mesh with a motion-heavy, spacing-first offensive system.
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His development was limited, as the team relied on veterans Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green to pursue an immediate-win approach. In a recent conversation, Kerr bluntly stated that Kuminga could have honed his skills better had he gone to a “bad” team. He said:
“The optimal circumstance for JK when he entered the NBA would have been to go to a bad team. Instead, he came to a championship team. But the way to develop in this league is to play 30, 35 minutes every night, make your mistakes, learn from your mistakes, grow, be able to do it out of the spotlight. And he wasn’t able to do any of those things (here), and I recognize that. That’s why I’m really hoping that the change in scenery will be what he needed.”
Kuminga joined the Atlanta Hawks in February 2026, but his appearances have been intermittent. His knee issues have hampered his availability, yet in every game he played, he made a significant impact. He had an explosive debut, scoring 27 points with seven rebounds, shooting 9-of-12 from the field in just 24–25 minutes, to help the Hawks outscore the Washington Wizards.
The 23-year-old has begun to fit in well with the franchise and is a key rotational player on the team led by standout forward Jalen Johnson. He is likely to unlock his potential as a high-level two-way player under head coach Quin Snyder. Kuminga did not play in the recent match against the Houston Rockets, but he is expected to take the floor against the Warriors, marking his first game against his former team.
