The Golden State Warriors' matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday evening provided the perfect storm for young forward Jonathan Kuminga to spread his wings a little and showcase his entire repertoire. After all, the Bulls were one of the worst teams, boasted a bottom-10 defense in the league and had lost six straight games.
However, a strange thing happened during the game. Instead of being unleashed against the hapless Bulls in what eventually was a dominant 123-91 win at the United Center, Kuminga didn't get off the bench. He didn't play a single second. Not one. While many were puzzled by the development, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr did not make a big deal of it, aside from saying that these things happen to everyone in the NBA, except for bona fide superstars.
Kerr pulling off something like this isn't news. This is a man who actually benched Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum in the 2024 Paris Olympics, which caused quite the uproar. In explaining his decision not to play Kuminga, the Warriors' 23-year-old athletic specimen who is arguably their most talented prospect, Kerr said it was just one of the situations when a player has to keep moving forward and not dwell on what happened in one game.
"Just got to keep going, just like everybody else who's in this position. And it happens to everybody, you know, pretty much other than the stars. You know, guys come in and out of the rotation depending on, you know, who's available, how the team's playing," Kerr said during his postgame media availability session.
With their morale high following their 99-94 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night, the Warriors arrived at the United Center — a place Kerr and Warriors wingman Jimmy Butler are very familiar with — teeming with confidence. They drained eight three-pointers in the first quarter and did not look back.
Showing no ill effects from playing on the back end of a back-to-back set, six players scored in double figures for the Warriors.
Kerr added that the flow generated by the players who were playing well made it difficult for him to find minutes for Kuminga.
"Just because of the way our team looks and, you know, Jimmy came back tonight. JK started last night. They play the same position," the silver-haired coach noted. "I like the group, you know, the last couple of nights — the bench group: Gui (Santos), Pat (Spencer), Melt (De'Anthony Melton). We got a lot of bodies, and so with Jimmy coming back tonight, it made sense to play the other guys because they complement him really well."
Kuminga entered the 2025-26 season with renewed vigor. With him securing the bag in the preseason and Kerr announcing that he would be part of the Warriors' starting five, it looked like JK would finally get the opportunity he had been pining for. However, after starting in the team's first 12 games, poor play forced Kerr to relegate him back to a reserve role.
A knee injury then sidelined him for seven games. His return to the lineup hasn't gone well as he averaged 7.8 points on 30 percent shooting in 19.8 minutes a game. While Kuminga downplayed his benching against the Bulls, this latest chapter casts uncertainty on what his role on this Warriors team really is.
"As long as things are working out and we're winning, I don't see a point of switching anything or changing," Kuminga expressed . "Whenever my number gets called, I'll be ready. But I don't see the point. We're doing good. We've been doing good, things are working really well."
Despite saying all the right things after the game, the indisputable fact is this: If Kerr can't even give Kuminga a single second on the floor with superstar guard Steph Curry sidelined, it's hard to envision a future in which he becomes a consistent contributor for the team.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 8, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
