The Golden State Warriors had a 111-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday in their preseason opener. One of the players who caught the attention of the fans was Jonathan Kuminga, who debuted his No. 1 jersey. Most of the attention for the Warriors fans was on Kuminga after more than a month-long contract standoff. The contract negotiations ended before training day started.
In the team’s preseason game, Kuminga was everywhere on the floor. The 6-foot-8 forward came off the bench and had five points, six rebounds and four assists. Although he struggled with shooting the basketball, it was a good sign that he’s ready to do everything on the floor.
Following their game against the Lakers, Marc Spears had the opportunity to speak with Kuminga. The small forward revealed his surprising mindset ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
“Happiness, joy peace. Which is surprising,” Spears said.
“I saw [Jonathan] Kuminga dancing after the game and he told me he was at peace. I think the guys, Steph [Curry], Draymond [Green], Jimmy [Butler] and Buddy Hield played a good role in giving him support. I think that helped him a lot.
"Happiness, joy, peace."@MarcJSpears on what he saw from Jonathan Kuminga during the Warriors' preseason game. pic.twitter.com/wQ84HiOsf3
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 6, 2025
“At Golden State, he’s like, ‘I’m committed here and I wanna win a championship here.’ It didn’t sound like somebody who was trying to force his way out.”
Following the protracted contract negotiations, Jonathan Kuminga is dedicated to helping the Warriors achieve their objective. Golden State wants to contend for a championship while Steph Curry is still at the top of his game. A fifth title ring for the All-Star guard is what the organization wants to help achieve this year.
Michael Malone wants Jonathan Kuminga and Steve Kerr to communicate to help the Warriors
The fans and the media have noticed that Steve Kerr has struggled to incorporate Jonathan Kuminga into the Warriors’ system since the start of the forward’s career. Many believe this has affected how Kuminga is being utilized on the team.
On Sunday’s episode of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown,” former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone commented on what the Warriors need from Kerr and Kuminga. According to him, communication is needed from both sides to make their partnership work.
“It comes down to communication,” Malone said. “Steve’s come out and said it, that communication is key. Him and Kuminga have a relationship, but they got to sit down in the room. And right now, it’s a battle between Steve Kerr saying, this is what we want, and then Kuminga saying, well, this is what I want. And they have to find a way to marry that.”
The Warriors need both Kerr and Kuminga for them to at least come close to contending a championship.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
