Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob addressed recent speculation about Jonathan Kuminga’s status in an interview with the San Francisco Standard.
“People say I loved him as a player, I was protecting him, I was whatever. That’s just not true,” Lacob said. “I did like him. I like all our players. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be acquiring them if we didn’t all like them.”
Lacob acknowledged the challenges in managing the young forward’s development while pursuing roster flexibility. “It just didn’t work. It looked like it was going to work. It was off and on a lot,” he added.
Kuminga, 23, was traded to the Atlanta Hawks at the 2026 NBA trade deadline along with Buddy Hield in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis.
During his five seasons with Golden State, Kuminga averaged 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 22.1 minutes per game across 278 contests. He showed steady scoring growth from 9.3 points as a rookie to 15.3 points in 2024–25, but struggled with efficiency, posting a 45.4% field goal percentage this season over 20 games before the trade.
Lacob’s remarks underline that Golden State’s decisions were guided by strategic considerations rather than personal attachment. Porzingis, acquired on an expiring $30 million contract, adds frontcourt depth and gives the Warriors future roster and salary flexibility.
The team cleared roughly $20 million in luxury tax obligations and opened additional roster spots, allowing for the signing of Pat Spencer to a standard contract after using his final two-way eligibility. Golden State now holds multiple first-round picks through 2032, providing options to re-sign Porzingis, use him in a sign-and-trade, or continue building long-term flexibility.
