If their flirtation with LeBron James wasn’t enough, the Warriors are now looking for a top-tier running companion to complement Stephen Curry. According to league insiders, they considered pursuing Dejounte Murray as well as scenarios that would have brought Pascal Siakam to Golden State. If an All-Star becomes available this summer, if James looks elsewhere, and if Paul George does not re-sign with the Clippers — if, if, if — expect Golden State to examine the expense and potential benefits of pairing said talent with the game’s best shooter.

As long as Curry continues to shoot at his historic rate — even at 35, he recently became the first NBA player to drain seven 3-pointers in four consecutive games — the Warriors have demonstrated their willingness to pursue another championship. As a result, Curry’s exceptional shooting has stood out on the season’s darkest nights, such as Jan. 4, when Golden State crumbled against Denver. There had been no sidekick, no one suited to front what is still one of the league’s most exciting shows. Until Golden State’s 21-year-old lottery choice stepped up, just as it could have been too late.

You see, Jonathan Kuminga witnessed the Warriors lose their 18-point lead to the Nuggets over the final 18 minutes of the game, all from his customary place on Steve Kerr’s bench. The Athletic stated this morning that Kuminga had “lost faith” that the Warriors’ famous coach would give the No. 7 choice in the 2021 NBA Draft an opportunity to unleash his potential, which is plainly channeled inside his muscular legs.

Semantics like those swing like a sword as the NBA trade deadline approaches, when a single phone contact between two executives may alter the direction of individual careers and entire clubs. Kuminga’s name has been mentioned in trade negotiations since last summer, with the Pacers showing interest, according to league sources, while Indiana was considering its options with the same No. 7 overall pick that brought Kuminga to the Bay. By January, Golden State had fewer trade possibilities to explore, with only a few Warriors players in whom opposing clubs were interested and who could have returned major assets behind Curry.

So Kerr called Kuminga into his office after telling his entire squad that the coach’s door is open for each player wearing the golden bridge on his chest. Kerr’s greatest majesty in leading four championship teams has always been whispering the proper words into a struggling shooter’s ear, providing critical perspective that is displaced by losing streaks and long road trips. And so he and Kuminga sat down and talked. It’s funny how volatility during an NBA season can subside so fast after everything appears to be hopeless.

“I told him how I felt, and he told me how he felt. Things he wanted me to do more to increase my playing time. After that, it’s just about going out there and having fun, playing for him,” Kuminga told Yahoo Sports. “He is pushing me harder. Sometimes you don’t understand something until it’s in front of your eyes. Someone wants big things for you, so they coach you harder. I believe that’s what it was, just him pushing me harder every time because he expects great things from me. Without him, I wouldn’t be on this court. I wouldn’t have the spirit to go out and play.”

The Warriors were 16-18 at the time, having dropped to 20th in defensive rating with visible gaps on the perimeter that Klay Thompson used to cover before injury after injury ruined his career. Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins represented Golden State’s best chances to solidify that shaky frontcourt, but Kerr had publicly stated that the lanky forwards — each standing roughly 6-foot-8 with 7-foot wingspans — appeared redundant during early stretches on the floor, as the Warriors finished minus-66 in their first 131 minutes together this season. Kerr, staring at Kuminga from across his desk, emphasized that his third-year forward needed to respect every sequence, every dribble, in order for this team to have a shot.