Kumingga went to Kerchung to train in special training, dissatisfied with the ups and downs, and looked forward to dominating the ball

The free market player market has not yet begun. Kumingga, who is waiting for fate to choose, devotes all his energy to training. Over the past two weeks, Kumingga has traveled to and from two training venues on the east side of Cleveland. He starts training at around 7 a.m. every morning and ends at around 5 p.m. On the inner wall of the training hall, there are three murals of NBA legendary stars - LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. The murals seemed to be staring at him as Kumingga sweated in a ball-organized training designed by technical trainer Ant Wells II. Wells firmly believes that Kumingga has the talent to be a great player, just like three players on the mural.

At the end of the regular season, Kumingga returned after missing 31 games, but because the Golden State Warriors suddenly introduced Butler, Kumingga found it difficult to adapt to the role of a low-use and off-ball substitute after his comeback. Cole moved Kumingga out of the rotation lineup in the first round of the playoffs and mentioned many times that he needed to strengthen his supportiveness and role player skills.

However, Curry's hamstring injury changed the situation and exposed the Warriors' offensive shortcomings. They urgently need higher levels of offensive creation, scoring ability and comprehensive offensive talent in the second round. Kumingga seized the opportunity, scoring 18 points, 30 points, 23 points and 26 points in the last four games, shooting 55% from the field (25 free throws).

The performance in the playoffs further strengthened Kumingga's belief in pursuing his personal career goals. He made his first entry into the free agent market, not only to get an ideal contract, but also to seek the role he really wants. He doesn't want to just cater to the needs of the Warriors' current lineup. He has long dreamed of being a star wing who can lead the offense and lead the team. With his future uncertain next month, he is training and preparing in the corresponding way.

"It's always the core of my thinking," Kumingga said. "Everything takes time, but I feel like I've reached the stage where I have to make this a priority - being one of the players the team relies on, with the goal of being an All-Star, multiple times, with the goal of being a great player... No matter where I go, stay with the Warriors or anywhere else, it's all I want. I want to see what I can do, I know I have the ability, so I really want to try it, I've never gotten such an opportunity."

In Cleveland, Kumingga will be in the morning in a training institution called CoreChiro. This is a high-end institution equipped with all strength trainers and modern tools to optimize the status of professional athletes. Then, he drove 15 minutes to the training hall and started the first of two court training sessions.

This training included a lot of dribbling and pick-and-roll reading. These are two areas that Kumingga is trying to polish this summer, strengthening ball-handling skills and creating more opportunities for teammates in high-post cover. He gave 6 assists in the series against the Timberwolves. If he wants to be the core of the offensive, he needs to find his teammates more often and complete the pass.

Kuminga's shooting data during training will be recorded. During the nine-day tracking in mid-June, he made 3145 three-pointers and 3251 inside shots, shooting 56% from three-pointers (including some catch and dribble), and hit 72% from two-pointers. He is practicing the paint area's emergency stop jump shot, short-range throws and mid-low skills. The people around him said that his shooting was better than ever, and he himself felt that everything, including skills, strength, mentality, and confidence, began to be integrated.

Despite enhanced shooting, in the offensive system led by Curry and Butler and directed by Cole, Kumingga's shooting choices may still be limited. He will be asked to catch the ball, cut in, cover, and occasionally participate in offensive creation. But he longs for more.

"The more mid-range you hit, the more jump shots and throws in the paint area, the more opponents will adjust to you, and you will make the team better, and more people will rely on you to allow you to do these things and throw these balls," Kumingga said. "This is almost the direction I invested in a lot of training - find the area I want to take action, improve my ability and improve my shooting percentage."

Kumingga's four seasons with the Warriors have had a lot of ups and downs. This is related to his ability and is also inseparable from Cole's elusive adjustments. In his second season of his career, when Wiggins missed the last two months, Kumingga averaged 14.2 points per game with a shooting percentage of 57%, helping the Warriors secure the sixth seed. After Wiggins returned, he gradually faded out of the rotation.

In the third season, Kumingga set a team record with 138 dunks in the season, scoring in double digits in 34 consecutive games, averaging 20.6 points in January, averaging 16.1 points in the season, and a shooting percentage of 52.9%. In his fourth season, he had a highlight before a sprained ankle and played four explosive performances in the end of the playoffs against the Timberwolves.

"I have done it occasionally, but I never got a stable role," Kumingga said. "Always play five games and ten breaks. I want a stable role because I know my abilities, what it can bring, how much effort it has been put in, and know my focus and love for basketball."

Compared to staying with the Warriors, Kumingga is more likely to get the high usage rate and ball-dominated opportunities he desires in other teams. The Warriors have Curry and Butler, and Cole has made it clear that the offense will revolve around these two, and the offensive center of gravity will be tilted towards Kuminga only when one of them is absent. And in a younger team without such a fixed level, his path will be clearer.

Entering this year's offseason, no one knows whether the Warriors and Kumingga will continue to cooperate. However, Durant's deal may bring a turning point. According to league sources, after the Miami Heat missed Durant, they developed a tangible interest in Cuminga. As the market formed, other teams are expected to join the exploration. Brooklyn Nets could be a quote team.

Although the future is unclear, Kumingga is unwavering in his long-term goals.

"I trust my team, my agent," Kumingga said. "I want to learn more about the transaction process, how the sign-up and then exchange work, and the details of contract negotiations, and I want to learn more about that. But most of the time, I only focus on playing and training. The better I perform, the opportunity I get will show up no matter where I get it."

"Where I go, I hope people feel like, 'Oh, yes, he deserves it, he deserves it, he's working hard for it.' No matter where I'm in, I want to feel like that. I want to be a great player, I feel that I have the ability to do it, I have the ability to accomplish something special, I won't give up easily. The only way to goal is to concentrate every day."