Jonathan Cummings was named the starter opposite Al Horford against the Lakers
Although it took several months to reach a conclusion about Jonathan Cumminga contract saga, the Golden State Warriors understand how important the 23-year-old forward is to their 2025-26 plan. And that’s why they are putting him in the starting five for Tuesday night season opener against the Los Angeles Lakersvia ClutchPoints NBA Insider Brett Siegel.
The Dubs are going with Cummings instead of the veteran big man Al Horfordchoosing to employ a small-ball lineup against Luka Doncic and company. Amidst all the concerns about how the former No. 7 overall pick and head coach Steve Kerr will coexist this year, the latter has a lot of faith in the former early on.
Horford brings a lot of experience with him in the Bay Area and proved he can still log significant minutes in his second stint with the Boston Celtics, but will be best used as a reliable player who can make an impact on both ends of the floor. If this team wants to raise its ceiling to the pinnacle of championship contention, it needs Kuminga to take a definite step forward.
The native of the Democratic Republic of Congo enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023-24 before taking a back seat last season. For the Warriors, he averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 47 games. Kuminga signed a two-year, $46.8 million contract that carries a team option for 2026-27, so he should be brimming with motivation moving forward.
Although there is speculation that Golden State could move him before the trade deadline, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and the rest of this team are counting on the 2022 NBA champion to help them reclaim the Western Conference throne. Jonathan Cumminga will try to help the Dubs take on the Lakers at Cripto.com Arena, and he might just make a statement in the process. The action starts around 10:00 PM ET.
2025-10-22 00:23:00
