Steve Kerr's Controversial Statement on Developing Young Talent

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has never been known for developing young talent. He's always preferred older veterans instead of working the young guys into the rotations, something that has drawn the ire of players like Jonathan Kuminga.

As Kuminga remains in a standoff with the Warriors about his future with the team, Kerr made an appearance on the "Glue Guys" podcast, where he talked about developing talent.

"I really lean on my younger coaches. One of the ways the league is so different now is that we're now a developmental league," Kerr explained. "The schedule was different [when I played]. We'd have three games in four nights, then you'd have four days off, so you'd have two great practices.

However, schedules have changed a lot since Steve Kerr was a player. The schedules aren't as grueling, and he believes that plays a large part in developing young players.

"Now, the schedule is basically you play every other day," Kerr continued. "We don't practice anymore. So we have to develop these 19-year-old kids who are coming into the league without much practice time... Frankly, I'm not great with it, like I'm an older coach... So I lean on the young [coaches]..."

"We don't practice anymore. So we have to develop these 19 year old kids who are coming into the league without much practice time...Frankly, I'm not great — I'm an older coach...So I lean on the young [coaches]."

- Warriors HC Steve Kerr on developing players, via @GlueGuys_Pod pic.twitter.com/gHCoUP2Ocf
— Marc Grandi (@MarcGrandi) August 15, 2025

The Warriors tried to use the "two-timeline" approach at the start of the 2020s, selecting James Wiseman second overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, Jonathan Kuminga 7th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, and Moses Moody 14th after Kuminga.

Moody has at least developed into a rotation-level player, but Wiseman was a bust, and Kuminga hasn't earned the trust of Coach Kerr. Kuminga's playoff stats, especially when he was averaging 20.8 PPG against the Minnesota Timberwolves with Stephen Curry out, would indicate that he's become a good player, but his playing time has been yanked around.

May 12, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) stands on the court before a play against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Steve Kerr's Part in Jonathan Kuminga's Discontent

The Warriors have reportedly offered a two-year, $45 million contract with a team option on the second year to Kuminga, but he's had no interest in signing it, mainly because he doesn't want to be back with Golden State.

Kerr has said on the record that he doesn't think Kuminga is the type of player who you can play 30+ minutes consistently and win games with, which Kuminga hasn't loved hearing. For a player who is demanding more than $30 million per year, those kinds of comments would understandably irk Kuminga.

Some of the latest on the seven-week stalemate between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors from NBA Today pic.twitter.com/XZgd8W5WtB
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) August 15, 2025

That's why Kuminga is so dead set on playing elsewhere. The Warriors hold most of the leverage in this restricted free agency, but if he were to accept his qualifying offer, that leverage would change quickly.

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