Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors’ Kuminga Has Reportedly Lost Faith In Kerr

January 5th, 2024 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Jonathan Kuminga has lost faith in Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who hear from sources close to the third-year forward that he doesn’t believe Kerr will allow him to reach his full potential in Golden State.

The report comes on the heels of Kuminga being benched for the final 18 minutes of the Warriors’ loss to Denver on Thursday.

“(Thursday) was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” one of The Athletic’s sources said.

Kuminga had played well in his first 19 minutes vs. the Nuggets, scoring 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbing four rebounds to go with four assists. However, he was removed from the game midway through the third quarter and was never reinserted.

“He was playing great,” Kerr said of Kuminga, per Slater. “His normal time to go back in would have been around the five-, six-minute mark (of the fourth quarter). (Andrew Wiggins) was playing great, we were rolling, were up 18, 19, whatever it was. So we just stayed with (Wiggins). Then at that (later) point, it didn’t feel like the right thing to do. (Kuminga) had been sitting for a while. So I stayed with the group that was out there, and obviously, we couldn’t close it out.”

As Charania and Slater detail, Kuminga has been a rotation regular for much of this season, including starting the Warriors’ past 11 games, but his minutes have fluctuated in part because he and Wiggins haven’t showed they’re capable of effectively playing together. Golden State has a ghastly -21.5 net rating in the 131 minutes the two forwards have shared the court this season. Minutes will likely also be harder to come by once Draymond Green returns from his suspension.

Kuminga has admitted to being confused by Kerr’s substitution patterns in the past, telling Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic after a Christmas Day loss to Denver, “Sometimes, I come out the game not knowing what I did. And that messes with my head. It’s like, ‘What they want me to do?’ I can pass and I can do different s–t.”

In 33 games this season, Kuminga has averaged 12.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .506/.280/.688. In spite of Kuminga’s poor net rating alongside Wiggins, Golden State has a +1.8 overall mark during his time on the court, compared to -1.7 when he sits.

Kuminga will be extension-eligible during the 2024 offseason before earning approximately $7.6MM in the final year of his rookie contract next season. If he doesn’t sign a new deal this year, he’ll be on track for restricted free agency in 2025.

Gary Payton II Out At Least Three Weeks For Warriors

January 4th, 2024 at 5:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II is out at least three weeks — which is when he’ll be reevaluated — after sustaining a grade 2 left hamstring strain on Tuesday vs. Orlando, Golden State announced in a press release (via Twitter).

In just his second game back from a right calf strain that sidelined him for 13 contests, Payton exited Tuesday’s win in the third quarter due to the hamstring injury. He didn’t return to the game.

The injury occurred as Payton was defending Magic guard Cole Anthony while he brought the ball up the court. The Warriors guard fell awkwardly as he looked to avoid a screen set by Paolo Banchero (Twitter video link via NBC Sports Bay Area).

Payton has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career, including being limited to just 22 games in 2022/23. The 31-year-old defensive stalwart was a key member of Golden State’s championship run in ’21/22.

Payton is earning $8.7MM this season and holds a $9.1MM player option for ’24/25.

Draymond Green Returning To Warriors Soon, Suspension Nearing End

January 4th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Draymond Green‘s indefinite suspension appears to be nearing an end. The veteran power forward is expected to return to the Warriors’ practice facility in the next few days, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Green will need to ramp up his physical activity and get in some practice time before he suits up again. He will miss his 11th consecutive game on Thursday night, when Golden State faces Denver.

Rejoining the team and working himself back into playing shape is the final step to getting back in action. NBA commissioner Adam Silver will determine when Green will be reinstated, but sources told Wojnarowski that Green will have satisfied the league’s requirements to return once he’s ready to play again.

Green was suspended on Dec. 13 for repeated violent acts, most recently when he struck Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the head last month.

He has been participating in individual counseling sessions and virtual meetings that include team, league and union officials designed to chart his progress toward reinstatement, according to Wojnarowski. Green’s agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. and team trainer Rick Celebrini, along with NBPA and NBA officials, are part of these ongoing sessions.

Green is in the first season of a four-year, $100MM contract and is losing $153,941 for every game he misses during the suspension.

The Warriors are 6-4 during Green’s absence but are still one game under .500.

Warriors’ Gary Payton II Expected To Miss Several Weeks

January 3rd, 2024 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

3:11pm: Payton is expected to miss several weeks as a result of his hamstring injury, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

7:44am: In just his second game back from a right calf strain that sidelined him for 13 contests, Warriors guard Gary Payton II exited Golden State’s win over Orlando on Tuesday in the third quarter due to a strained left hamstring, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com. He didn’t return to the game.

The injury occurred as Payton was defending Magic guard Cole Anthony while he brought the ball up the court. The Warriors guard fell awkwardly as he looked to avoid a screen set by Paolo Banchero (Twitter video link via NBC Sports Bay Area).

Head coach Steve Kerr said after the game that he wasn’t sure yet about the severity of the injury and didn’t know how many games it might cost Payton. However, Anthony Slater of The Athletic says it’s “clear” the guard will miss another chunk of time.

“I feel bad for him, more than anything. I feel bad for us, too, but mainly for him,” Kerr said, per Andrews. “He makes such a big impact for us. So, fingers crossed that he’s not out for too long.”

Payton doesn’t provide much offensively for the Warriors, having scored double-digit points in just two of his 16 games so far this season. But he’s arguably the club’s strongest perimeter defender and is a key part of the rotation on the wing.

Golden State has a +5.3 net rating in Payton’s 261 minutes this season, compared to a -0.5 mark in the 1,338 minutes he hasn’t played.

“He’s such a big part of our team,” Warriors guard Chris Paul said. “People may not realize it, but his energy is consistent every day — every practice, every game. Him coming back has been huge for us. So I hope whatever it is isn’t going to take a long time. I think for him, it’s going to be about getting as healthy as possible.”

“He relieves so much pressure for us, as far as guarding,” Klay Thompson added. “I’m sure we’re going to miss him, but we just want to be healthy.”

Pacific Notes: Klay, Plumlee, Theis, N. Powell, Bol

January 3rd, 2024 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

It has been a disappointing first half of the season for Warriors wing Klay Thompson, whose average of 16.7 points per game is well below his career mark. His 42.0% shooting percentage on field goal attempts and 37.7% rate from beyond the three-point line would be career lows.

While Thompson’s slow start has affected his demeanor on and off the court, he said on Tuesday that a recent conversation with head coach Steve Kerr has helped him “relax a lot” and adjust his mindset, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

“Sometimes I forget just how successful and how lucky I’ve been to be part of a championship team, All-Star games, gold medals,” Thompson said. “You want to get back to that level so badly you can kind of get in your own way. Rather than forcing it, we had a conversation about enjoying the last chapter of my career, how lucky I truly am to still be playing this game, doing it at a high level, being a better mentor for these young guys, leading by example, having my energy right every game.

“He helped me realize if I do have negative energy how that affects the team in a poor manner. So we had a great conversation that helped me change my whole mindset and forget about shooting splits or points per game or All-Star games and just to enjoy being in this Warriors uniform and appreciate what we’ve built. Because it’s such a rare opportunity for a professional athlete to be a part of so much success and to pass that torch to the young guys and keep this thing going.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Clippers center Mason Plumlee was active on Monday for the first time since going down with an MCL sprain on November 6, but he didn’t see any action, as Janis Carr of The Orange County Register writes. “He is available, but we still want to make sure we are doing the right thing and making sure that we’re taking the slow (road) and ease him back in,” head coach Tyronn Lue explained. Fellow reserve center Daniel Theis said he hasn’t been told by the coaching staff how his role will be affected by Plumlee’s return.
With the Clippers healthier this year than in recent seasons, Norman Powell is averaging just 25.6 minutes per game off the bench, his lowest mark since 2018/19. However, the veteran wing says he’s willing to sacrifice some playing time and accept a reduced role if it’s the right move for the team as a whole, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. “This year with the way the team is constructed and the moves that we made, I’ve been taking a step back and not being so upset that my role isn’t going to be where I would like it to be, or where I want it to be or how I view myself, and accepting how the team is built, what the team is looking for and what we have to do to win,” Powell said.
Bol Bol made just eight appearances and logged only 19 total minutes in his first 32 games with the Suns, but he finally got an extended opportunity in Monday’s win over Portland and took advantage of it, putting up 11 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes. “I haven’t been able to show it, but I still have all the same confidence,” Bol said before the game, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I know what I’m capable of doing when given a chance.” Head coach Frank Vogel told reporters after the victory that the team was “really happy” with Bol’s performance and hinted that his opportunities to play non-garbage-time minutes may be more frequent going forward.

Kerr: Nothing New Regarding Green Suspension

January 2nd, 2024 at 9:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There isn’t much of an update regarding Draymond Green‘s indefinite league suspension, according to Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets. Green “hasn’t been in the (practice) facility, at least not with us,” Kerr said, adding “We’ve been giving him his space, he’s been giving us ours.”

Green missed his 10th game on Tuesday since the suspension was handed down. Around Christmas, league speculation pegged the suspension for the Warriors forward at 11-to-13 games but that now seems optimistic, given he’ll have to get in some practice time before he returns to the court.

Steve Kerr Says Warriors Are Lacking "Grit" To Be Successful

January 1st, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors are searching for answers after completing the 2023 portion of their schedule with a 10-point loss to Dallas, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. It marked the team’s eighth defeat at home, which matches its total from all of last season. Coach Steve Kerr refused to blame the absence of Draymond Green, who remains on indefinite suspension, but said the team lacks the “grit” that it needs to be successful. “We’re not competing through the tough parts of the game,” Kerr said. “There’s an intangible, there’s a feeling, there’s a vibe when you fight, where everyone’s energy is right. We don’t have that right now.”

Warriors’ Gary Payton II To Return On Saturday

December 29th, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors swingman Gary Payton II will be active for Saturday’s game against Dallas, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters, including Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Payton will be on an unspecified minutes restriction, per Andrews.

Payton has been sidelined since November 28, having missed the past 13 games with a right calf strain. He practiced on Wednesday, but missed Thursday’s loss to Miami. In 14 games this season (17.3 MPG), he has averaged 5.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 1.2 SPG on .479/.320/.667 shooting.

A 6’2″ guard whose athleticism and defensive skills allow him to slide up to forward at times, Payton has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career, including being limited to just 22 games in 2022/23. The 31-year-old was a key member of Golden State’s championship run in ’21/22.

It will be interesting to see how Kerr handles the rotation tomorrow. Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins are among the players who could see fewer minutes, assuming Payton plays.

Payton is earning $8.7MM this season and holds a $9.1MM player option for ’24/25. The Warriors have had an up-and-down season thus far and are currently 15-16, the No. 11 seed in the West.

Pacific Notes: Wiggins, Kuminga, Green, Lakers Lineup, Theis

December 28th, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors have a specific lineup issue that’s impacting both this year’s outlook and the future prospects of the team, writes Tim Kawakami of The Athletic. Golden State has to determine whether Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga — the team’s two most athletic players, in Kawakami’s view — can share the court together, especially with the trade deadline looming.

Kawakami writes that if Wiggins and Kuminga figure out how to play with one another, it would unlock the Warriors’ offense due to the fact that the two forwards make Golden State faster and more athletic. So far, that pairing hasn’t had much success.

In 106 minutes together on the floor this year, the duo has a minus-21.4 net rating, the worst on the team (of lineups that play often) by a large margin. They also have the worst defensive rating and rebound percentage among those lineups.

“It’s something we will try with maybe some new people around them,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “Their numbers are not good together, frankly. They’re very redundant. So the tape and the numbers haven’t been great.”

While this lineup wrinkle is just one question for a roster full of them, it has major implications. If the pair doesn’t figure things out, Kawakami writes the Warriors will likely have to choose between them, especially with Kuminga due for an extension on the horizon. If they do end up working well together, however, it could phase out minutes for Golden State’s other veteran pieces.

Kawakami also writes that while the Warriors previously may have been reluctant to move Wiggins in a trade after he signed a bargain contract specifically to stay with the team, he hears that may no longer be the case.

We have more from around the Pacific Division:

The Warriors are keeping quiet on the timetable for Draymond Green‘s return from his indefinite suspension, writes Jon Schultz of the San Francisco Chronicle. “The Draymond stuff, everything is just private,” Kerr said. “That’s behind the scenes and I really don’t have anything to comment on that front.“
The Lakers switched up their starting lineup on Saturday, replacing D’Angelo Russell with Jarred Vanderbilt in an effort to augment the defense. However, that hasn’t worked out just yet, with the new starting lineup posting a 125.0 defensive rating in their 18 minutes together, The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price writes. “We’ve just gotta buckle down defensively,” Anthony Davis said. “We’re not really a switching team but now we’re getting to it because of our lineup. We’re able to do that. Miscommunication is kind of there. Offensively, we can be fine. But we have to do a better job on defense.“
The Clippers acquired Daniel Theis to help address their frontcourt when Mason Plumlee went down with an MCL sprain in November. As Plumlee approaches his return to play, the Clippers haven’t yet determined how they’ll balance Theis and Plumlee when both are healthy, tweets Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.

Injury Notes: Brown, Doncic, Payton, Vincent, Nance, Heat

December 28th, 2023 at 3:52pm CST by Rory Maher

Celtics wing Jaylen Brown has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against Detroit due to a lower back contusion, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Brown sustained the injury on Monday against the Lakers after being accidentally kneed in the back by LeBron James. Both players were down in pain for a few minutes, but were able to return later in the contest.

Brown, who signed a five-year, super-max extension in the offseason, is averaging 22.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.1 SPG on .478/.335/.734 shooting in 28 games (33.8 MPG) this season for Boston.

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Mavericks will be without Luka Doncic for Thursday’s game in Minnesota, as first reported by Marc Stein (via Twitter). Doncic is dealing with left quad soreness. As Stein notes, it’s the second game of a back-to-back for Dallas, which lost to Cleveland on Wednesday.
Warriors swingman Gary Payton II practiced on Wednesday, according to Jon Schultz of The San Francisco Chronicle. “He had a lot of energy today,” Trayce Jackson-Davis said of Payton. “Had a great practice, and we need them out there. Obviously our guard depth is a little shallow right now, and just having another defensive two-way guard on the floor is going to help us a lot.” However, Payton has been ruled out of Thursday’s contest vs. Miami, per the league’s official injury report. It will be the 13th consecutive absence for Payton, who has been battling a right calf strain.
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Wednesday and will be reevaluated in about eight weeks, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Jarred Vanderbilt is one of the players who will receive more minutes with Vincent out, Turner adds. “It obviously hurt. He’s a big component of what we do,” Vanderbilt said of Vincent. “Great player, great system player. So, obviously health comes first. So, we want him to get healthy. For us, it’s the next-man-up mentality. Continue to play the right way and have some guys step up in his absence.”
Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr. has missed the past month after aggravating a rib fracture, but he’ll be active tonight against Utah, he told Christian Clark of NOLA.com and other media members (Twitter link). Nance has been limited to 14 games thus far in 2023/24.
The Heat have dealt with numerous injuries once again this season and will be shorthanded during Thursday’s contest in Golden State, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Jimmy Butler (left calf strain), Kyle Lowry (soreness), Caleb Martin (right ankle sprain) are all out, Josh Richardson (back discomfort) is doubtful, and Orlando Robinson is away from the team after being assigned to the G League.