Warriors’ Steve Kerr: Jonathan Kuminga to return to regular rotation

Jonathan Kuminga appears set to reenter the Warriors’ rotation.

Coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday that Kuminga is expected to play when Golden State resumes action Thursday in Phoenix following a three-day break. Kuminga has been a DNP-CD in each of the Warriors’ past three games, but Kerr said his work in practice has stood out.

“He’s been great this last week,” Kerr said. “He’s working really hard, and I’m going to reward that.”

It’s been an uneven season for Kuminga. He opened the year strong as a starter, playing well enough that Kerr publicly committed to keeping him in the lineup. That didn’t last. Kuminga cooled off, moved to the bench, then missed seven straight games with knee issues.

After returning, he played in four consecutive games and even drew a start on December 6 in Cleveland. That outing went sideways quickly. Kuminga went 1-of-10 from the field and soon found himself back out of the rotation.

Kerr said he plans to stick with his current starting group of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Moses Moody and Quinten Post for now, meaning Kuminga is expected to come off the bench.

His situation remains worth monitoring. Kuminga becomes trade-eligible January 15 and is widely viewed as one of the league’s more notable deadline candidates.

Through 17 games, including 13 starts, Kuminga is averaging 12.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25.6 minutes. His shooting numbers are down across the board, and his turnovers are at a career high.

For now, though, he’s back in the mix.