It's no secret that Jonathan Kuminga didn't mesh well with Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, and that's putting it lightly. After signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kuminga is now on his third team. He signed a prove-it contract worth $12.4 million over two years, which includes a player option in the second year, bypassing more lucrative offers in the process.
While Kuminga needs to prove that he is capable of truly embracing a complementary role, a stronger relationship with Chris Finch will also be a key factor.
Shortly after he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, Anthony Slater of ESPN reported: "Kerr never had much success reaching Kuminga on a deeper level, typically one of his coaching superpowers." Now, Slater did note that Kerr made efforts to connect with Kuminga, but the frequent DNPs and other factors damaged their relationship.
The reality is that both Kuminga and Kerr have some level of blame for how things went in Golden State. Thankfully, though, Finch is getting off on the right foot with Kuminga. According to Jon Krawczynski, Finch played a role in recruiting Kuminga, having several long conversations with him about the team’s culture of accountability.
Setting the tone and building a strong connection with Kuminga could be a game-changer.
A strong connection between Finch and Kuminga will be vital
It's also worth noting that, per Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, as reported by Krawczynski, the main appeal of Minnesota was the defensive side of the floor and that he's not worried about stats or shots. While Anthony Edwards' involvement was central, per Turner and Krawczynski, Finch's role is also relevant, particularly given his rocky history with Kerr.
In addition to Finch, lead executive Tim Connelly and co-owner Alex Rodriguez all had discussions with Kuminga. As Turner said: "It was such a solid respect factor from top to bottom."
The Timberwolves' goal of getting Kuminga to buy into a complementary role is the same as the Warriors' goal. However, the messaging and trust factor will be different, which should make Kuminga more open to a complementary role.
Being critical of Kuminga for how he was unable to adjust to a complementary role in Golden State is valid. But my question is: Did Kerr ever fully believe in Kuminga and embrace him? Nobody truly knows exactly what happened behind the scenes in Golden State. Yet it's fair to say Kerr made some mistakes. Kuminga isn't a perfect player, but he absolutely belongs in an NBA rotation.
Kerr would constantly yank his minutes around. In the 2025 playoffs, Kuminga was mostly out of the rotation in the first-round, before being the Warriors' leading scorer in the following series (against Minnesota) after Steph Curry got injured. Having a coach not believe in you to this degree when you are talented (even if you aren't a star) has got to be crushing, and this explains some of Kuminga's issues in Golden State.
The Timberwolves made it clear to Kuminga that he'll have a consistent role. Make no mistake: Finch and company will still hold Kuminga accountable, and he still needs to be open to a complementary role. All of this will be easier if Kuminga feels like his coach trusts and believes in him.
If everything goes as planned, Kuminga will transform the current narrative around his game, and Finch's role in this transformation will be significant.
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