Jonathan Kuminga’s tenure with the Golden State Warriors ended before either side fully realized the potential many envisioned when he was selected seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Yet one of Kuminga’s biggest supporters remains convinced that the 23-year-old forward is far from a finished product.
Speaking on The Kevin O’Connor Show, Draymond Green revisited what he called his biggest draft prediction. While acknowledging that Kuminga’s time in Golden State ultimately did not work out, Green maintained that he still sees star potential in the athletic forward.
“My biggest draft miss,” Green said, via HoopsHype. “I’ll take it as a miss because it didn’t work. But I still think this guy has the potential to become a star in this league. I was super on the train of draft Jonathan Kuminga.”
Green pointed to Kuminga’s recent playoff performance as evidence that his development remains on an upward trajectory. Kuminga was traded to the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 5 alongside Buddy Hield in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis, ending a partnership that lasted nearly five seasons.
Following the move, Kuminga helped Atlanta reach the playoffs after the Hawks finished 46-36 and secured the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. In six first-round games against the eventual Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks, Kuminga averaged 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and shot 48.3% from the field while logging 26.0 minutes per game. Although Atlanta lost the series 4-2, Green viewed the performance as an encouraging sign.
“Watch what he did in his playoffs off of two months with an organization,” Green said. “I think that’s the start of something.”
Kuminga’s regular-season production dipped somewhat during the 2025-26 campaign, largely due to fluctuating roles with both organizations. Across 36 games between Golden State and Atlanta, he averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 23.1 minutes per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range.
Those numbers represented a decline from the 2023-24 season, when Kuminga appeared to be making a significant leap. That year he averaged a career-high 16.1 points on 52.9% shooting while starting 46 games for the Warriors.
The challenge for Kuminga in Golden State was consistency and fit. Despite flashes of elite athleticism, downhill scoring ability and defensive versatility, he never fully secured a long-term featured role in a veteran-led roster built around Green, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. The Warriors finished just 37-45 in 2025-26 and missed the playoffs after landing in 10th place in the Western Conference, prompting major roster changes.
Green suggested the situation, rather than the talent, was the primary issue.
“It just didn’t work in Golden State,” Green said.
