Is Jonathan Kuminga Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Warriors vs. Magic)

The latest injury update for Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga on Thursday against the Orlando Magic.
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga. / David Gonzales-Imagn Images
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Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has been ruled out for Thursday's matchup against the Orlando Magic with an ankle injury, but it appears the youngster is nearing a return to the lineup.

According to The Athletic's Anthony Slater, Kuminga is in the final stage of his recovery, and he could join the Warriors at some point during their current road trip.

Getting Kuminga back in the lineup would be a major boost for a Golden State team that is thriving since it traded for Jimmy Butler, winning six of its last seven games while posting the second-best net rating in the NBA over that stretch.

Kuminga would give the Warriors another valuable scoring option once he can return, as he's averaging 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season while shooting over 45 percent from the field.

On Thursday, the Warriors are listed as five-point road favorites against the Magic at DraftKings Sportsbook. Orlando has struggled as a home underdog this season, going just 3-5-1 against the spread in nine games.

The Warriors are one of my favorite bets for tonight's game, and I broke down why in today's edition of Peter's Points, my daily NBA Best Bets column:

This game immediately jumped off the board to me as an easy pick with the Magic still struggling mightily to get anything going on offense.

Orlando ranks 28th in offensive rating over its last 10 games, and the Warriors are rolling with Butler on the roster, winning six of their last seven games while posting the No. 2 net rating in the NBA over that stretch.

Golden State has blown out Sacramento, Dallas and Charlotte since the All-Star break, and I’m not buying this Orlando team after it lost by 40 to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. Without Jalen Suggs this season, the Magic are just 9-16 straight up.

Plus, they’ve slipped to 3-5-1 against the spread as home underdogs – one of the worst marks in the NBA this season.

This is a shorter spread than I expected for a Golden State team that is making a serious push for a top-six seed in the conference. 

I’ll gladly lay the points with the Warriors on Thursday.

Even with Kuminga out, Golden State could be worth a bet on Thursday night.


Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.


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Peter Dewey
PETER DEWEY

Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.