Is Jonathan Kuminga playing tonight? Golden State Warriors' puzzling setback deepens as star player faces unexpected pause

The Golden State Warriors just had a significant comeback victory. However, they will be short-staffed when they play the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night in an attempt to build on that.

Jonathan Kuminga has been excluded. Golden State is attempting to be cautious with an ongoing injury, so Jonathan Kuminga will not play for the Warriors on Friday against the Spurs. Bilateral knee tendinitis is the diagnosis. One of the Warriors' key young players will be absent, but their older stars are all scheduled to participate. However, Kuminga was compelled to withdraw from the competition on Wednesday. Due to a knee injury, the 23-year-old was unable to return after heading to the locker room during the first half.

The 6-foot-8 forward's status has finally been updated by the Warriors.

A surprising Golden State twist emerges as Jonathan Kuminga hits an untimely hurdle

Going into the 2025–26 season, the Golden State Warriors wanted to be a championship contender. They might have advanced to the Western Conference Finals if Stephen Curry hadn't suffered a hamstring injury during the second round of the previous season's playoffs.With six straight road losses and five more away games before returning to the comfortable confines of the Chase Centre, the Golden State Warriors have resembled a sinking ship of late.

And yes, even coach Steve Kerr is tinkering with the lineup to try and stem the tide of losses.Golden State is trying to be precautionary with the lingering injury, and Jonathan Kuminga will not play Friday for the Warriors against the Spurs. The diagnosis is bilateral knee tendinitis.There is no structural damage, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN."Absence should be relatively short-term, but Kuminga/Warriors want to manage some of the recent soreness he’s been experiencing."

It's ironic that the younger Warriors starter, rather than one of the older players, is experiencing knee pain. This season, Golden State is obviously aiming high, and the objective is to have as many of its talented players accessible as possible.On Wednesday, when the Golden State Warriors travelled to Frost Bank Centre to play the San Antonio Spurs, Jonathan Kuminga was benched. The Warriors defeated Victor Wembanyama and company 125-120 thanks to head coach Steve Kerr's decision to alter his starting lineup.

After a six-game losing streak away from home, Golden State's first road victory was much-needed.Due to an injury sustained during the previous season, Kuminga hardly played after Jimmy Butler arrived in town. It's difficult to predict, but Kuminga won't want that to occur again. The Warriors need to find a flow because they haven't been playing well. By the time Kuminga returns, his role may be reduced if they manage to find it without him.Also read: Is Jonathan Kuminga playing tonight? Golden State Warriors star's status update against Indiana Pacers revealed (11-01-2025)