The Warriors got off to a hot start in kicking off the 2025-26 NBA season, winning four of their first five games. Then they reversed course and lost five of their next seven to effectively wipe away all the progress made to start the year. As the season approaches the one month mark things have somewhat stabilized. Golden State is 9-8 and keeping above water despite a particularly punishing schedule that coach Steve Kerr called the hardest he’d ever seen in his decades of NBA life.
All the while the Jonathan Kuminga situation looms as a turning point for this year’s Warriors team. Kuminga engaged in an extended and contentious contract negotiation with Golden State over the summer that ended in an agreement on a two-year deal that will likely result in Kuminga entering unrestricted free agency next offseason. Which makes this season a bit of a weird spot for the springy forward. He’s clearly aiming to leave the Warriors as soon as he’s able to, reportedly in order to land on a team where he will have a larger role. But in the meantime Golden State will rely on him as a fairly important rotation player in a season with championship expectations—while keeping an eye on the trade market in case an enticing offer for Kuminga comes along once he’s trade-eligible in January.
