When three of the superstars are out, a defeat against the OKC Thunder was expected. But the backlash for the Warriors’ head coach is not the 131-94 result, but about not playing the young forward Jonathan Kuminga. The 23-year-old has been showing some flashes of brilliance this season. And since this was not the first time benching him, and the fact that Steve Kerr remained vague during the post-game conference, veteran Rashad McCants has taken issue with the decision.

“Steve you are not fooling nobody. Karma is right around the corner. #freekuminga.”

The tweet from the ex-NBA player summed up the peculiar situation that JK is currently in. Because the Golden State Warriors were without veteran stars Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green, along with guard De’Anthony Melton, for the first night of the back-to-back.

Curry sat out because of a left ankle sprain, Butler became ill earlier in the day, and Green was rested. Naturally, the expectation was that Kuminga would be a mainstay against the OKC.

Kerr even said the 23-year-old will “for sure” be on the floor. However, hours later, Jonathan Kuminga was added to the injury report with lower back soreness. Soon after, he was ruled out. Kerr addressed the question during his press conference and said Kuminga “got hurt before the game”.

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Additionally, he had “no idea” if the injury would continue to linger. This vague answer continues to highlight the avoidance of the head coach for one of his younger stars.

Kuminga has been subjected to DNP in nine of the last 10 games. The Congolese forward’s last appearance was on Dec. 18 against the Phoenix Suns, registering two points and four boards in 10 minutes of the 99-98 loss. So McCants is not buying the back soreness issue about JK. This also points towards the fact that Kuminga has played his final game as a Warrior. Golden State has six games until Jan. 15, the first day he’s eligible to be traded.

As for how this affects Kuminga, he had shown professionalism in that aspect as well, saying how he doesn’t take it to heart.

“I try not to think about it… because the more I think about that, the more it’s not going to sit right in my head. So I just block out all that noise and just stay focused on whenever I get my chance.”

Even McCants wanted JK to move away from the Bay Area as soon as possible. McCants told SportsCasting in September, “He needs to get out of there. I don’t think Steve Kerr is the greatest coach of developing young players. He inherited a team that had great players already established, and now that you see this (window) dwindle, there is really no development, no bright side after Steph Curry.”

Steve Kerr and Jonathan Kuminga continue to be at a crossroads

Once the two-year, $48.5 million deal was signed, everybody expected JK to be moved on. Especially when ESPN’s Shams Charania stated that the second year of the deal has a team option that is “designed for the contract to be ripped up” and allows Kuminga to jump into free agency. In this season so far, the 23-year-old has featured in 18 games. But a knee injury made a severe impact.

Ever since his return from that, his numbers dropped, his minutes dwindled, and his efficiency plummeted. Later, he was out of the rotation and did not see action in multiple games. The issue goes back to last season. Kerr opined that the lineup with Jimmy, Jonathan, and Draymond didn’t fit well with more spacing. Even just a few days ago, Kerr showed a lack of faith in JK.

“It’s tough because he’s not really a short-minute player,” Kerr said. “He needs some rhythm. He always has to stay ready. There’s a pathway there, but right now, it’s not there. But things can change quickly in the NBA.”

However, things don’t continue to change for Kuminga and the Warriors. They are 18-17 and need to find a solution.