Sources: Jonathan Kuminga's targeted Warriors return date from ankle injury

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The Golden State Warriors have been without 22-year-old forward Jonathan Kuminga since he suffered a severe ankle sprain on Jan. 4 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Without Kuminga, Golden State has gone 14-12 and has struggled to replicate his production at times.

While Kuminga will remain out for the Dubs’ contest against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, he is in the final stages of what has been a two-month recovery process from his ankle injury.

Kuminga, who recently returned to practice with the team, is on the verge of being cleared for his return to games, league sources told ClutchPoints. Ahead of the Warriors’ game on Monday night against the Hornets, all signs point toward Kuminga suiting up and taking the court on Saturday against the Detroit Pistons after the team’s current five-game East Coast road trip ends.

Even though it remains a possibility for Kuminga to be cleared before Saturday’s clash with the Pistons, possibly even before Thursday’s contest against the Brooklyn Nets, it continues to look very likely that the young forward will receive the final green light upon the team returning to San Francisco.

Before suffering his ankle injury, Kuminga had established himself as an integral part of the Warriors’ lineup next to Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. In his last 15 games, Kuminga averaged 20.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from three-point range.

A lot has changed for Golden State since this point, as Jimmy Butler joined the team at the trade deadline and has sparked new life in the Warriors. Since Butler’s first game, the Dubs have gone 7-2, recently losing 126-119 without the six-time All-Star on the court against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Warriors have lost only once with Butler in the lineup alongside Curry and Green.

How Jonathan Kuminga will fit with Jimmy Butler, new-look Warriors

How head coach Steve Kerr and Golden State look to integrate Kuminga back into the lineup and rotations will be the biggest question surrounding this organization heading into the final month of the regular season.

While Kuminga’s presence and production are vital to the Warriors’ overall success, his role will be different than it was prior to this ankle injury due to Butler’s arrival.

Behind the scenes, Kuminga has been developing a strong relationship with Butler, sources said. The veteran star has embraced being a mentor figure for the young Warriors forward, and Butler is looking forward to playing alongside Kuminga.

“Hella athletic. Can shoot it. Can score it in a multitude of ways. And can guard. I think he's going to come back and do what he's been doing," Butler said of Kuminga recently. "My job is to make it even easier on him. So come on back and help us get some dubs.”

In 32 games this season for the Warriors, Kuminga has averaged 16.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the floor. He is in the final year of his contract and will be a restricted free agent in the offseason.

While Kuminga’s contract situation has been a hot topic of discussion for Golden State dating back to before the 2024-25 season began, early indications point in the direction of owner Joe Lacob doing what it takes to keep the young, athletic forward for the foreseeable future even after extending Butler’s contract.

Lacob has always been a fan of Kuminga’s development, which is one of the main reasons why he has been held out of trade conversations dating back to last summer. It would come as a shock to many around the league if Lacob and the Warriors let Kuminga walk in the offseason once he becomes a free agent.

As for his immediate future with the Warriors, a return to the floor for Saturday’s game in San Francisco against Detroit continues to look very likely for Kuminga. The team will provide an official update on Kuminga’s status, assuming he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, later in the week.

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