Steve Kerr & Jonathan Kuminga's Viral Post-Game Conversation After Warriors Loss

In his first game after nine DNPs, Jonathan Kuminga had 20 points and five rebounds during the Golden State Warriors‘ 145-127 blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. In an interesting turn of events, Steve Kerr and Kuminga were seen in a deep conversation after the game, with the Warriors head coach seemingly providing words of encouragement to the fifth-year forward. Kuminga’s 20-minute burst off the bench provided an offensive spark, but Golden State’s hapless defense could not contain the Raptors from taking a 70-50 lead into halftime. In the second period, the Warriors fared a lot better, even outscoring the Raptors, 76-75, but they couldn’t overcome the first-half deficit. Steve Kerr Praises Jonathan Kuminga After the game, Kerr praised Kuminga for providing a boost off the bench. “It was great,” Kerr said of Kuminga’s return, via The Athletic’s Nick Friedell. “He came in and had great energy, attacked the rim, made some shots. I thought JK was really good and it’s a great sign. With Jimmy out, obviously, there’s a hole at that spot on our roster. So JK’s gonna factor in here again and really pleased with the way he stayed ready and stayed prepared and got his opportunity and played really well.” Further to Kerr’s point, the devastating season-ending injury suffered by Jimmy Butler III has opened the door for Kuminga to be a valuable contributor for Golden State. Previously, Kerr said it was difficult for him to field three-man lineups of non-shooters such as Butler, Kuminga and Draymond Green, leading to the Congolese player being the odd man out and getting left off the rotation. Warriors Trade Plans for JK With Butler going down, Kerr is seemingly more pleased with the floor spacing in lineups with Kuminga. The same sentiment was shared by Green, who praised Kuminga after Tuesday’s game for being a professional throughout his nine DNPs. “I think we’ve all been very vocal about how he’s handled himself,” Green said of JK. “He’s been incredible. And that is proven by the game he had. If you’ve been a nuisance, if you will, that game doesn’t happen for you.” While some view Kuminga as a positive reinforcement in the aftermath of the Jimmy Butler injury, the Warriors are still widely expected to move him by the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, according to insider Marc J. Spears. Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy made some shocking remarks on Tuesday, hinting that Kuminga, who requested a trade after becoming trade-eligible on Jan. 15, does not have much value around the league. “As far as the demand, I’m aware of that,” Dunleavy said. “In terms of demands, when there’s a demand, there needs to be a demand on the market. So we’ll see how that unfolds.”