Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga finally offered his first public hint about his lingering knee injury after missing six straight games. But his response only deepened the mystery.
Pressed by ESPN’s Anthony Slater on Monday about when he might return, Kuminga provided a single-word answer:
“Soon.”
The comment was the extent of his update — and it came after Kuminga declined multiple times to speak about the injury when approached inside the Warriors locker room. According to Nick Friedell of The Athletic, Kuminga refused to answer when told that head coach Steve Kerr himself suggested reporters ask the young forward directly for clarity.
“He again declined to comment,” Friedell reported, adding that Kuminga is not required to speak, but “his decision not to share an update will only feed into speculation.”
Kerr Sounds Frustrated: ‘I Have No Idea What He’s Doing’
A day before Golden State faced the Utah Jazz on Monday, Kerr admitted that even he does not know where Kuminga stands physically.
“I don’t know where he’s at,” Kerr told reporters. “He’s got to tell you where he is. … We did scrimmages. We did live drill work and he barely did any of that. I have no idea what he’s doing.”
Kerr confirmed Kuminga underwent an MRI and that the result came back clean.
“There’s nothing glaring, but it’s bothering him,” Kerr said. “So it’s day to day.”
Kuminga is expected to miss his seventh straight game on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets — a highly anticipated rematch of last season’s first-round playoff series and the Warriors’ first meeting with former superstar Kevin Durant, now in Houston.
Tension Resurfaces Between Kuminga and Kerr
This injury stalemate marks the latest strain in what has become a delicate relationship between the player and coach. Earlier this month, ESPN’s Slater reported Kuminga “feels like the scapegoat again” amid Golden State’s slump and rotation changes.
Kuminga’s turnovers climbed from 2.4 to 3.1 per game before he was dropped to the bench, a move Slater said “reopened old wounds” just months after contentious contract negotiations.
Before the injury, Kuminga averaged 13.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists, showing flashes of growth but also inconsistency.
Trade Clouds: Kuminga Becomes Eligible Jan. 15
Beyond the injury, the timing has fueled speculation. Kuminga recently signed a two-year, $48.5 million deal with a team option, a contractual detail multiple insiders say was included specifically to preserve trade flexibility.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Warriors’ aggressive negotiating approach this summer was designed to secure a “tradeable contract.”
One executive told Stein Kuminga is now “one of the best trade chips in the league.”
Several analysts believe a trade is imminent.
Bill Simmons of The Ringer predicted:
“January 16, he won’t be on the team.”
CBS Sports’ Brad Botkin called the partnership “an arranged marriage headed for divorce,” urging both sides to “end the charade.”
Warriors Win Without Him — But Uncertainty Remains
The Warriors snapped their losing streak on Monday with a 134-117 win over the tanking Jazz, despite missing Kuminga, Draymond Green (midfoot injury), and Al Horford (sciatica). But the temporary relief did little to quiet questions surrounding Kuminga’s status and place in the franchise.
Kuminga answered the question everyone wants to know with a single word. Now, the Warriors — and the rest of the NBA — wait to see whether “soon” means a return to the court in Golden State… or a fresh start somewhere else.
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