Report: Warriors young wing Jonathan Kuminga finally set to return from injury

The Warriors will look to keep rolling on Thursday, when Jonathan Kuminga will rejoin the rotation.

After a prolonged rehab process, Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga will return to the team’s rotation in Thursday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings. he news was first reported by ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania. Kuminga has not appeared in a game since he suffered an ankle injury on January 4th during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Slated to hit restricted free agency this offseason, Kuminga will now look to solidify himself as the final piece the Warriors need to return to championship contention.

Kuminga was amidst an incredibly productive stretch when he went down with his injury, but now will look to get back into a similar rhythm in an entirely different rotation. Just how much have things changed since Kuminga last played for the Warriors? Well, here is the rotation head coach Steve Kerr played in Kuminga’s last game:

Player (Minutes): Current status
Andrew Wiggins* (36): Traded
Dennis Schröder* (36): Traded
Draymond Green* (30): Starter
Trayce Jackson-Davis* (28): Out of rotation
Buddy Hield* (23): Same
Lindy Waters III (28): Traded
Kyle Anderson (21): Traded
Jonathan Kuminga (15): TBD
Pat Spencer (12): Out of rotation
Moses Moody (9): 25 MPG

Obviously Steph Curry was out in this game, and there were some other peculiarities in the rotation, but it illustrates just how much the team has changed since Kuminga got hurt. The two players who received the most playing time have both been traded. Another starter who saw nearly 30 minutes of action, is entirely out of the rotation. The two most played bench players have both been traded too. Meanwhile, Steph, Jimmy Butler, Quinten Post, Gui Santos, and Gary Payton II were all either out or wearing different uniforms at the time.

It will undeniably be a tall task for Kuminga to reacclimate amidst such different circumstances. While Butler immediately meshed with his Warriors teammates, he’s a veteran known for his understanding of the game and ability to quickly adapt, Kuminga is a 22-year old who is still developing his on-court approach. With the Warriors looking rejuvenated since the Butler trade, Kuminga’s return will arguably be their biggest challenge since the trade deadline.

Still, the risk is undeniably worth the potential reward. Kuminga has averaged 16.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this season on more than 50% shooting from two and 34.5% shooting from three. The Warriors still lack players who excel as scorers and on-ball defenders, Kuminga has shown the potential to be elite in both of those areas.