SAN FRANCISCO — Warriors coach Steve Kerr spent most of Thursday’s pregame press conference doing his best to downplay multiple reports that Jonathan Kuminga requested a trade away from Golden State.
“Our relationship is fine, and there’s not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff,” Kerr said. “It is what it is, and its a difficult situation for everybody. Part of this league and part of this job. We keep moving forward.”
After a protracted summertime negotiation that saw Kuminga’s agent Aaron Turner emphasize his client’s desire for a featured offensive role, the forward agreed to a two-year contract with a trade restriction until Jan. 15.
Kuminga started the first 12 games, but a combination of injuries and ineffective play saw him relegated to the bench afterwards. The 23-year-old has since only played one of the last 17 games.
Though Kuminga is relegated to the bench and no longer in the team’s future plans, Kerr believed the team will not be negatively affected by the situation.
“It won’t be a distraction,” Kerr said. “Jonathan is a great young guy, his teammates like him, and he’s handling himself well. There won’t be a distraction.”
Kuminga participated in shootaround on Thursday morning, but Kerr declined to tell reporters what the conversation was like between he and the player. Kerr made sure to note that Kuminga’s situation, as a young player looking for a better role, is not uncommon.
“It’s tough being a young player in the league … One thing I tell all our young guys is that the vast majority of players in this league end up playing for multiple teams, and a big part of this league is finding the right situation and making that connection,” Kerr said, later adding, “It’s an interesting journey, and everyone has their own journey.”
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