Inspection begins? Kerr announces Kuminga will return to the rotation tomorrow after missing the last three games

On December 18th Beijing time, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed that after three days of rest, the team will face the Phoenix Suns on the road this Friday, with Kuminga expected to rejoin the rotation.

"The team certainly wants to evaluate players’ status during practice," Kerr stated, "I can confidently say that Kuminga, who was out of the rotation for the past week, has shown excellent effort. His work ethic in training has been outstanding, and he deserves this opportunity in return."

So far this season, Kuminga’s situation has been quite turbulent. In the first five games as a starter, he performed impressively, and Kerr even publicly stated that Kuminga would hold a starting spot for the foreseeable future. However, his form declined afterward, leading to a move to the bench after a few weeks, followed by missing seven consecutive games due to a knee injury.

After recovering from injury in late November, Kuminga played four consecutive games and even started again on December 7th against the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, he shot just 1-for-10 in that game and was subsequently listed as DNP for the next three games, not getting any playing time.

In an interview on Wednesday, Kerr said that unless injuries occur, he does not plan to change the current starting five—Curry, Butler, Green, Moody, and Poole. This suggests Kuminga will likely come off the bench in Friday’s game.

Kuminga’s situation deserves close attention. The former seventh overall pick has become one of the hottest potential trade targets in the league before the trade deadline this season. He will be eligible for trade starting January 16 next year. It is widely believed that he and the Warriors will part ways, and even if Kuminga returns to the rotation, it might only serve as a showcase for other teams. Earlier reports indicated that the Kings remain very interested in Kuminga.

Up to now this season, Kuminga has played in 17 games (starting 13), averaging 25.6 minutes per game with 12.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. His shooting percentages are 43.8% from the field, 32.0% from three, and 74.1% from the free-throw line. Notably, the 43.8% field goal percentage marks a career low, while his average of 2.5 turnovers per game is a personal worst.