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Jonathan Kuminga Offers Cryptic Outlook on Warriors Future

Fourth-year Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga met with reporters on Thursday after the team was elminated from the playoffs with a Game 5 loss to the Timberwolves in the conference semifinals, and one thing became crystal clear about his future in Golden State, and the league in general.

It's far from clear.

In all, among the 20 or so questions that Kuminga was asked, he issued the words, "I don't know," 11 times, and we should probably take him at his word. There will be plenty of players who draw attention this summer as free agents or trade targets, but as a 22-year-old hitting restricted free agency for the first time, Kuminga's future is maybe more uncertain than anyone's.

Kuminga played well for much of the season, but was injured in January and when he returned, Golden State had traded for forward Jimmy Butler, a move that eventually forced Kuminga to the bench, even in the playoffs.

But after Stephen Curry injured his hamstring in the opener of the Timberwolves series, Kuminga returned to the rotation and excelled. In the last four games of the Warriors' stunted playoff run, Kuminga averaged 23.4 points on 55.4% shooting and 38.9% 3-point shooting.

That gave his impending free agency a much-needed rejuvenation.

There is, however, much he does not know, as he made clear.

His first question was about free agency, and Kuminga said, "I don't know. I don't know what to tell you. I figure, I don't know, but you know -- I don't know. Still got to figure it out. Just finished playing one day ago. So I don't really -- I haven't think about anything yet."

He was asked, too, about whether he needed to hear--from the Warriors or any team he might sign with--a firm plan for him in that team's rotation.

"I don't know what the future is going to be. You know, it's something that any player would love to hear, going to a different year," he said.

"I'm looking forward to it, and I know it's going to happen. Somebody going to talk to me about how things will go next year. But you know, I'm just looking forward to that. I don't know. I don't know anything about what the future is holding for me. But just looking forward to it."

He was also asked about how he felt about free agency, whether there was any excitement. His answer was, well, predictable.

"I don't know how those things goes. I think I'll learn more going through this summer with my agent. So I don't know. I don't know how that will go," he said.