Warriors Forward Jonathan Kuminga to Return vs. Kings After Two-Month Absence

Golden State looks a bit different these days since the last time Kuminga suited up.
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga drives to the basket with the ball.
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga drives to the basket with the ball. / David Gonzales-Imagn Images
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Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is expected to return to the lineup on Thursday against the Sacramento Kings, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Tuesday. It will mark Kuminga's first appearance since Jan. 4, as he's been recovering from a sprained ankle.

The Warriors look, and are playing, a bit differently since Kuminga last was on the court. The biggest change has been the addition of Jimmy Butler, who was traded to Golden State in February from the Miami Heat. Andrew Wiggins went to Miami in return.

The Warriors were 18–16 when Kuminga suffered his injury, and they are now 37–28 and rank sixth in the Western Conference. He missed a whopping 31 games, with the Warriors going 19-12 in that span.

Kuminga must officially participate in Wednesday's team practice before getting the O.K. to return, but all signs are pointing to him being ready by Thursday. He is expected to play off the bench.

In 32 game appearances and 10 starts this season before his injury, Kuminga averaged 16.8 points, five rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest.

The Warriors get Kuminga back at an important part of the season as they continue to push to make the playoffs.


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.