Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga sprained his right ankle Saturday night against Memphis and left the arena on crutches.
The injury occurred late in the second quarter when he rolled his ankle in the paint. Kuminga is set to undergo an MRI after which a timetable to return will be determined.
Speaking after the game, head coach Steve Kerr indicated Kuminga is set to miss an extended period.
“It’s a sprained ankle,” Kerr said. “We’ll have more tomorrow. It is not going to be a day-to-day thing. It was a significant sprain. So we’ll just have a report tomorrow once we get a better feel for it.”
Kuminga played 15 minutes off the bench, finishing with 13 points, two rebounds, two assists, and four turnovers. Golden State defeated Memphis 121-113 as Steph Curry rested on the first night of a back-to-back.
Trade Plans Halted?
The 22-year-old has been mentioned in trade rumors since last season, and those rumors have only intensified with the Warriors looking short of contention.
Kuminga’s role on the team has fluctuated, featuring prominently in the second half of last season but getting demoted to the bench after beginning the season as a starter.
There was a small stretch where he was starting once again in place of Draymond Green, but that recently ended as well.
Golden State has been one of the teams linked to Jimmy Butler and the Heat would almost assuredly want a young piece like Kuminga in return.
Injuries Put Warriors Under Pressure
The Warriors found a way to lose 12 of 15 games immediately after going 12-3 to start the season.
Some of that was the team’s defensive drop-off, precipitated by a season-ending injury for guard De’Anthony Melton. The losses increased the Warriors’ urgency to improve, and trading Melton for Dennis Schroder followed.
It will be interesting to see if this Kuminga trade now forces another move. One thing is for certain, the Warriors are not contenders are currently constituted.
When speaking with the media earlier, Kerr recognized the reality of the team.
“We’re not in a position to say, ‘Hey, we’re good enough. Let’s just stand firm,'” Kerr said. “We have to assess all the options. … [But] for me, it’s let’s see what we can do in these next few weeks and hopefully we settle into this rotation, start shooting the ball better.”
