Jonathan Kuminga: ‘A lot of people that are playing … if they were in my shoes, they’ll quit basketball’

Inconsistent.

If one word were to define Jonathan Kuminga’s fourth NBA season — one with a new contract of indeterminate size waiting at the end of it — it would be inconsistent. His play has been, but so has the role Steve Kerr has put him in, and those two things are linked. Kerr moved Kuminga into the starting lineup a couple of weeks ago saying the young forward needed the space to step up and prove what he could be for the franchise, but that lasted all of six games (with Kerr saying he needed to start Draymond Green at the four and Kevon Looney at the five for defensive reasons). Kuminga is back to the bench where, after a couple of tough games in that position, on Monday night he scored a team-high 26 points in a loss to the Pacers (because Stephen Curry had an off night).

After the game, Kuminga said he was used to this fluctuating role but not everyone could handle it. Here’s the quote, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

“Sometimes I start, sometimes I don’t start,” Kuminga said. “Don’t really affect me. [At] this point in my career, I can’t put my head down and not go out there and play hard or try to be effective. I just go out there and do my job because I can’t even worry about things like that. The more you worry about things like that, the more you fail.”

“I’m used to it,” Kuminga added of starting and not starting. “From where I come from, you always got to be mentally tough. A lot of people that are playing … if they were in my shoes, they’ll quit basketball. They’ll need a therapist. They’ll go through a lot of mental situations. But that thing don’t affect me. As long as I go out here every day and just play, be with my teammates, [they] keep encouraging me to be who I am every day.”

Kuminga has been frustrated, but he hasn’t been a distraction.

The big question for Kuminga will come at the end of the season: Would he be better off with a change of scenery? He did not reach terms with the Warriors on a contract extension this offseason, with Golden State reportedly not willing to go above $30 million in annual average salary over the course of the deal and Kuminga seeking close to $35 million on average. He is a restricted free agent, the Warriors have the right to match any offer, and there will be limited teams with the cap space to chase him (primarily Brooklyn). However, if the Warriors were to make a trade for an established star to go next to Curry next summer, a sign-and-trade of Kuminga could be a big part of matching the salaries.

For the season, Kuminga is averaging 15.5 points a game, shooting 33.3% from 3, and has been good but not great. Not consistently $35 million a season great. He also has nights, like Monday, when he looks like that guy, and that potential means he has fans in other front offices around the league who think in a new setting that consistency would come.

For now, Kuminga is trying to star off the bench for Golden State. You can see him on Christmas Day when the Warriors host the Lakers in a game featuring established legends — Curry vs. LeBron James — on inconsistent teams.