Jimmy Butler Saw Double Standard in Warriors’ Kuminga Handling

The Golden State Warriors’ decision to move on from Jonathan Kuminga at the trade deadline did not come in a vacuum. Behind the scenes, a growing belief that Kuminga was being held to a different standard than other young players created internal tension — a view shared by one of the franchise’s most influential voices.

According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Jimmy Butler emerged as Kuminga’s closest ally and mentor after joining Golden State at last year’s trade deadline and privately questioned what he perceived as an organizational double standard in how the former lottery pick was treated.

“Butler took Kuminga under his wing and Kuminga left viewing him as a genuine mentor, sources said, with Butler voicing to some that he felt there was an organizational double standard in the way Kuminga was treated compared with others,” Slater reported.

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Butler Became Kuminga’s Loudest Internal Supporter

Butler’s influence carried weight inside the Warriors’ locker room. Known leaguewide for demanding accountability and competitive clarity, Butler gravitated toward Kuminga, whose role had fluctuated sharply despite flashes of star-level production.

While Slater did not identify the specific players Butler was referencing, the implication was clear: Kuminga’s margin for error appeared far slimmer than that of other developing pieces under coach Steve Kerr.

That perception resonated loudly among fans following the report’s publication, with many pointing to Brandin Podziemski as the most obvious contrast.

“Jimmy, just like the fans, we have no idea why Podz leash is so long but talent-wise we would’ve preferred more to see Kuminga-Steph-Jimmy-Moody lineups,” one fan wrote.

“Isn’t it obvious by now. It has to be Podz. Bro was replacing HOF Klay Thompson in his rookie year lol,” another fan said.

“Kerr’s favorite boy Podz self-proclaimed Steph 2.0,” wrote another fan.

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Podziemski’s Leash Became a Flashpoint

Since being selected 19th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, Podziemski quickly became a fixture in Kerr’s rotation. The former Santa Clara standout averaged more than 26 minutes per game across his first three seasons and famously supplanted Klay Thompson in the starting lineup during his rookie year — a decision that accelerated Thompson’s departure from the franchise in the summer of 2024.

Kuminga, by comparison, surpassed the 26-minute mark just once during his Warriors tenure. That came in the 2023–24 season, his most productive stretch with the team, when he averaged a career-high 16.1 points in 26.3 minutes per game.

Despite that growth, Kuminga’s role remained unstable.

According to Slater, Kuminga increasingly blamed Kerr “as the figure most responsible for holding back his career,” pointing to inconsistent usage, inexplicable DNPs, and a lack of defined trust.

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Playoff Breakout Reinforced Kuminga’s Case

The disconnect sharpened during last spring’s playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With Stephen Curry sidelined by a hamstring injury, Kerr turned to Kuminga out of necessity. The forward responded emphatically, scoring 18, 30, 23, and 26 points in the final four games while shooting 55 percent against a Timberwolves defense that had stifled Golden State’s veterans.

Kuminga had previously told ESPN he envisioned himself as a “multiple-time All-Star,” and that postseason surge only reinforced his belief that he had earned a larger, more consistent role.

But Kerr, operating under a win-now mandate with Curry still playing at an elite level, could not offer what Kuminga craved.

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Relationship Fractured Beyond Repair

Slater reported that Kerr made repeated efforts to connect with Kuminga, including handwritten notes and lengthy text messages, but those attempts were rarely reciprocated.

According to Slater, team sources described Kuminga’s responses as “dispassionate and sporadic,” deepening the sense that communication — once fractured — was no longer salvageable.

After a contentious contract negotiation last summer and a stretch of 16 consecutive coach’s decision DNPs, the outcome felt inevitable.

Golden State ultimately sent Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal centered on the expiring contract of Kristaps Porziņģis, closing the book on a tenure defined less by talent than by a widening internal divide — one even Butler could no longer reconcile.

Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo