After much consternation and anticipation, the Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga decided to kiss and make up, with the latter signing a two-year, $48.5 million contract to return to the NBA team he's called home since he entered the league in 2021. Kuminga, of course, has a huge chip on his shoulder, as he's raring to prove to head coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the NBA world that he deserves a larger role on this Dubs squad. And if he continues to play with the force he showed on Sunday, he could very well be on his way.
During the Warriors' Sunday night preseason clash against division rival Los Angeles Lakers, Kuminga added further to his growing highlight reel. In the middle of the second quarter, Kuminga found himself going one on one against the Lakers' offseason addition, Jake LaRavia. The Warriors forward was already off to a running start, and this head of steam he had built up helped him elevate for a mean, off-hand poster jam right in the grill of the Lakers forward.
JONATHAN KUMINGA WITH THE NASTY POSTER OVER JAKE LARAVIA 😱pic.twitter.com/BrfCki0P2X
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 13, 2025
The Warriors' bench was sufficiently tantalized with his emphatic poster over LaRavia, with the likes of Al Horford, Seth Curry, De'Anthony Melton, and Moses Moody, all of whom were inactive for their preseason game vs. the Lakers, showing befuddlement, amazement, and pleasant shock.
Kuminga has always had tantalizing athleticism, and to see him throw down a jam with that magnitude shows that he is starting to translate his athletic gifts into flashy yet more consistent production.
With it being preseason, Kuminga just played in 22 minutes on the night and finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Getting zero assists is alarming in the Warriors' system, which is why he'll be poised to start the 2025-26 season coming off the bench.
Warriors believe in Jonathan Kuminga's super sub potential
The Warriors' numbers whenever Kuminga and Jimmy Butler share the floor are not very good to say the least. While Kuminga did show that he can contribute plenty for the Dubs with the way he showed out in the postseason when Stephen Curry was out injured, Golden State is expected to bring him off the bench to start the year so they could start Horford at the five.
Kuminga would not have signed a new deal with the Warriors if it wasn't made clear to him what his role would be for the upcoming year. All he could do is embrace whatever role he gets and make the most out of it until he becomes so good that Kerr cannot afford to keep benching him.
