Jonathan Kuminga didn’t make it to the second half of Tuesday night’s preseason game.
The Golden State Warriors forward was thrown out of their matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers in the final moments of the second quarter after he made contact with an official while arguing for a call. That led to an immediate technical foul and ejection.
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Kuminga was driving to the rim at the Moda Center trying to get a bucket to fall before the buzzer sounded, though he missed the layup after thinking that he drew contact in the middle of the lane. As play went the other way to wrap up the quarter, Kumina got into the officials face and made contact with him — which will lead to an ejection every time.
Kuminga had seven points, six rebounds and four assists in 18 minutes when he left.
Tuesday’s outing was Kuminga’s third this preseason, and came just weeks after he landed a new two-year, $48.5 million deal to return to the franchise after months of uncertainty. Kuminga and the Warriors had been in a contract dispute throughout the offseason that frequently felt like it was going nowhere. The new deal now means that Kuminga will be eligible to be traded in January, which is something that is reportedly likely to be explored at a minimum.
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Kuminga, who the Warriors took with the No. 7 overall pick in 2021, averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 30.5% from behind the arc last season. The 23-year-old missed significant time last season due to an ankle injury he went down with in January, but he returned in time for the postseason.
The Trail Blazers, who went 36-46 last season and missed the playoffs, took a 61-56 lead into the locker room at halftime. Their regular season will start on Oct. 22 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Warriors will open the regular season on Oct. 21 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.
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