How Steve Kerr Impacts Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga Contract Negotiations

As we get more clarity on the Jonathan Kuminga contract situation for the Golden State Warriors, many fans and analysts are wondering what the root cause of the actual performance on the court has been.

Pointing to the fit around Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green is the most obvious excuse that some can come up with, but why is the fit so bad if so?

"Steve Kerr doesn't want Kuminga. Kuminga doesn't want to play for the Warriors, in part, because he knows the coach doesn't want him."@espn_macmahon breaks down how he views the Warriors-Kuminga situation. pic.twitter.com/OIi9ycoi6N
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 15, 2025

Kuminga has had an inconsistent role for years, falling in and out of favor with head coach Steve Kerr as seasons progress, but is that one of the reasons why he has not flourished yet in Golden State?

New Report Describes Kerr and Kuminga's Relationship

A new report by Anthony Slater and Shams Charania details the behind-the-scenes of the Warriors' situation with Jonathan Kuminga and explains his connection with Kerr.

"Kuminga's personal relationship with Kerr isn't a problem. The messaging from Kerr and the Warriors is that Kuminga would have a substantial role to open next season, per sources. They could use his youth and scoring on the wing," they wrote.

Kerr with propers for Jonathan Kuminga. Said he played the role the Warriors asked him to play. Defended. Rebounded. Protected the ball.

“Just played a really, really solid game. Did exactly what we needed.”

More: pic.twitter.com/R3acr00nJb
— Sam Gordon (@BySamGordon) April 4, 2025

"But in negotiations, Kuminga's side has regularly referred to some postseason comments where Kerr highlighted the difficulty of fitting Kuminga next to Curry, Butler and Green for heavy minutes and expecting to win at the highest level. It's proof to them that the basketball fit is less than ideal for the trajectory of Kuminga's career," Charania and Slater concluded.

While Kerr has acknowledged that Kuminga is a gifted player and has given praise for his play, especially in the 2025 playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, his coaching style has been a point of contention in hindering Kuminga's development.

The Factors of Kuminga's Inconsistencies

Even though Kuminga had a strong finish to the season, his playoff minutes were low in the first-round series against the Houston Rockets.

Sure, Kuminga got an extended leash in the second round of the playoffs, but that is only due to the injury of Steph Curry, which kept him out for the entirety of the series against Minnesota.

During negotiations with Golden State's front office Kuminga's camp has regularly brought up Steve Kerr's postseason comments about JK not fitting well with Dray and Jimmy on the court, per @ShamsCharania and @anthonyVslater.

Here are those comments from Steve Kerr from… pic.twitter.com/COLRexmZHy
— TheWarriorsTalk (@TheWarriorsTalk) September 15, 2025

The Warriors' head coach has been adamant about the difficulty of fitting Kuminga into the team, stating that his fit alongside Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green is not ideal for what the Warriors desire in offense.

Although the two parties involved do not want to acknowledge it, a rift between Kerr and Kuminga seems to exist, and further negotiations will clarify whether this is indeed the case.

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New Report Describes Kerr and Kuminga's Relationship

The Factors of Kuminga's Inconsistencies

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