It's no secret that Jonathan Kuminga's tenure with the Golden State Warriors didn't go smoothly, and that's an understatement. He had a tumultuous relationship with head coach Steve Kerr, which ultimately led to him being traded to the Atlanta Hawks at the 2026 deadline after a summer filled with grueling contract negotiations.
ESPN's Anthony Slater described it as an "ugly split" between Kuminga and Kerr. In this article, Slater revealed many issues between Kuminga and the Warriors, including petty stuff like him taking too much food from the family room.
On Wednesday night, Kuminga will square off against his former team for the first time as the Minnesota Timberwolves play host to the Dubs. Whether Kuminga would openly say so or not, best believe this game will count a little extra for him.
Beyond this, the Warriors' defense is an easy matchup. Thus far, they rank 27th in defensive rating per Cleaning the Glass, and opposing teams are shooting 78.5 percent at the rim against Golden State. Given this, Kuminga might not only prove to his old team that he's an awesome complementary player, but he could erupt for a big scoring night, particularly since he'll draw one of the easier matchups.
Kuminga can make a statement to the Warriors on Wednesday night
While Kuminga is absolutely best suited in a complementary role, he's a talented scorer.
If the matchup calls for it, a heavy dose of shot creation is appropriate on certain nights, and Wednesday has the makings for Kuminga to have sizable scoring duties. Considering the Warriors' poor defense and the fact that Anthony Edwards is sidelined with a knee injury, this could be a night in which Kuminga has sizable shot-creation duties.
Due to his impressive athleticism, Kuminga can attack the rim and punish the Warriors' lack of rim protection. Plus, playing alongside LaMelo Ball has opened up easier shots for Kuminga. Ball is always searching for Kuminga (and all of his teammates), and it wouldn't be surprising to see him feed Kuminga on Wednesday.
The Warriors constantly tried to get Kuminga to embrace a complementary role, but things never worked out, and he was often found outside of the rotation.
As it happens, Kuminga has thrived in a complementary role thus far with the Warriors. His gritty defense, rebounding, and athletic play-finishing have made him a perfect complementary starter for the Timberwolves. Without a doubt, he's a huge reason why Minnesota is off to a strong 3-1 start.
Kuminga and Kerr never saw eye to eye. And while one could argue Kuminga lacked maturity, Kerr's lack of open belief in him was an issue. The guy should've at least played consistent minutes on a Warriors team that could've used extra forward minutes. Minnesota, on the other hand, has expressed belief in Kuminga and made an all-out effort to sign him. That counts for something. The Wolves' free-flowing system is another benefit that has helped him thrive.
If for whatever reason Kuminga isn't having a monster night as a creator, he'll likely flex his muscles as a complementary weapon against his old team.
Overall, whether Kuminga continues to do all of "the little things" well on Wednesday night or explodes for a big scoring night, the writing is on the wall for a revenge game.
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