Just like with all things Kuminga, this was not how we imagined things going. The Warriors ruled out Jonathan Kuminga ahead of the rematch with the San Antonio Spurs tonight. Multiple Bay Area insiders have confirmed what has sidelined him, too, and what it could mean for the team. Steve Kerr, who has finally put him back in the starting lineup since the 2025-26 season began, now has to revert to his non-Kuminga strategy from last season.

Kuminga had left Wednesday’s game against the Spurs and was ruled out for the rest of it. While the Warriors proceeded to win without him, Kuminga was officially on the injured list with bilateral knee tendonitis.

In the pre-game presser tonight, Steve Kerr pretty much told the media not to hold their breaths for the forward’s speedy return. “Hopefully over the next couple of days as he visits with our training staff every day, they’ll get him on track soon, but (his status is) just day to day,” was the latest update on Kuminga from his head coach.

ESPN’s Anthony Slater confirmed that there’s no structural issues with the 23-year-old’s knee. So his absence might be short-term with a day-to-day evaluation.

This misfortune couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Warriors and the Spurs are playing the second game of the West Group C NBA Cup game. The Dubs are currently at the bottom of their group, while the Spurs are the favorites to win the NBA Cup this season.

Kuminga has been averaging 13.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists, shooting 47.8% from the field in the first 13 games of this season. Many thought he had finally found his form after that tumultuous offseason. But this latest news concerns analysts about his future in Golden State.

Golden State can hang around without Jonathan Kuminga

A day after Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler used the media to scold their younger teammates about accountability, the injury curse got Kuminga. At the time, the Warriors couldn’t afford to lose a single player. Or so we thought. The Warriors had their best offense of the season in the second half of Wednesday’s game without Kuminga.

After keeping the score gap close in the first half, Moses Moody’s free throws put them ahead. Stephen Curry exploded for 46 points and is one 40-point game away from matching a Michael Jordan record. Draymond Green put up a defensive masterclass guarding an oversized Victor Wembanyama. The Warriors won 120-125 without Kuminga, a day after an embarrassing blowout loss to OKC.

Green credited Steve Kerr’s tactical adjustment without JK for making that happen. “That was due to Steve saying he wanted more spacing, he wanted more movement on the offensive end around Jimmy and Steph, how do we go about doing that? That was kind of what that was about. Test one, it was really good.” Green acknowledged that Kuminga is improving, and it’s a blow to downgrade as a starter, but they’re looking at a bigger picture.

Individually, it might not look good for Kuminga. As veteran Warriors beat reporter Marc Grandi so ominously stated, “It’s going to get awfully noisy if they start winning games while he’s sidelined.”

Last season, Kuminga took serious offense to Steve Kerr benching him. What followed resembled a cartoon kitten packing a bindle and storming out of the house.

The standoff extended into the Warriors’ training camp, where veterans Curry, Green, and Butler defended Kuminga against criticism. It concluded with an anticlimactic two-year, $48.5 million contract on the front office’s terms.

Kuminga returned to the starting lineup, but analysts were outspoken about his situation. Nearly everyone predicted he would be traded at the deadline unless he proved himself essential to the team. So yes, Grandi is correct that if the Warriors perform well without him, it won’t bode well for his future.