Warriors make Jonathan Kuminga G-League decision after 19 games originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Whether executing trades or promotions/demotions, NBA franchises can’t be hesitant to make moves that’ll benefit them in the long run.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn Wednesday, the Golden State Warriors took that advice to heart, completing a G-League move centered around their injured 6-foot-7 star Jonathan Kuminga 19 games into the season.
“The Warriors assigned De’Anthony Melton, Jonathan Kuminga, and Gui Santos to Santa Cruz (Warriors) so they could scrimmage with the G-League team today,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported on X/Twitter.
“Kuminga and Melton late stages of injury return, Santos to get some conditioning. They’ll be recalled after.”
Kuminga, who’s averaging 13.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game this season on 47.8% field goal shooting and 32.4% three-point shooting, is currently nursing knee tendinitis, explaining why he’s missed the Warriors' last six contests.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s more common for banged-up NBA assets to spend a brief period in the G-League than many realize, as it’s among the best ways to ensure a player is prepared to hit the ground running upon their return.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was assigned to the G League (South Bay Lakers) two weeks ago while recovering from right-sided sciatica and made his season debut with the franchise shortly after.
It’s reasonable to assume the Warriors hope Kuminga has a similar experience and helps the franchise flip the script after a sluggish 10-9 start to the year.
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