"Going to be a shock" - Warriors coach reveals plan to unlock Jonathan Kuminga's full potential by pairing him with veteran center

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr has plans for Jonathan Kuminga after the young forward signed his extension. Kerr, who has been at odds with Kuminga's camp at times, will look to integrate Kuminga into a lineup featuring veteran center Al Horford.

Speaking to Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard, Kerr was asked about Kuminga's return to the Warriors. The coach doesn't care about what the player's agent has said about him on public platforms. He's looking past that and will integrate Kuminga into the team's offense.

Kerr explained that the addition of Horford and the improvement of Quinten Post are vital to Kuminga's success. He wants the Congolese star to use the space created by the big men and attack the basket or create an opportunity for the offense.

"When I think about JK, Steph (Curry), BP (Brandin Podziemski), now we've got a space five," Kerr said. "We've got two of them actually, with Quinten and Al. So I'm looking forward to putting (Kuminga) with Al, especially. Because Al's got the ability to protect the rim, and he's excellent defensively. Even at 39, he's still a very good defender."

Steve Kerr added that one of the reasons Jonathan Kuminga didn't get a lot of opportunities after returning from his injury was due to the players they had last season. Kuminga is most effective with ample space, something that couldn't happen if he were on the floor with Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Trayce Jackson-Davis.

But now that the Golden State Warriors have Al Horford and Quinten Post ready to go, Kuminga is likely getting his chance to shine. There are reports about the Warriors making him available once he becomes eligible for trade on Jan. 15, 2026.

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What did Steph Curry say about Jonathan Kuminga?

What did Steph Curry say about Jonathan Kuminga? (Photo: IMAGN)

After the Golden State Warriors defeated the LA Lakers in their preseason opener, the media asked Steph Curry about his thoughts on Jonathan Kuminga's performance. Curry doesn't care about what happened between Kuminga and the franchise. He only wants the best for the team, which includes Kuminga buying into their goal.

"I'm not going to overanalyze every minute he’s out there," Curry said. "It's not good for anybody. It's just, 'Can we win? Can he be a part of that, no matter how it looks?' I'm excited for him to get his legs underneath him and keep building."

The Warriors are back in action on Wednesday, when they host the Portland Trail Blazers at the Chase Center.