The Golden State Warriors suffered a 127-120 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night, and they endured that loss without the presence of one of their biggest names on the court.

Jonathan Kuminga was a healthy scratch for Friday night's game, a new development in his fluctuating usage throughout the season. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr previously said that he needed more consistency from Kuminga before he felt confident in using him more often, and now it seems that he's also looking for more energy from the young forward as well. 

When Kerr was questioned about the decision to bench Kuminga, he didn't give any direct answers behind his decision, but instead mentioned several other players far down on the depth chart that did see minutes in Friday and celebrated what they brought to the court.

“Right now it’s where things are. You saw Gui [Santos] come in there for 6 minutes and lit up the crowd with his energy. The ball movement, the was maybe the best stretch of the game for our offense just with the flow," Kerry said (via Marc Grandi of 95.7 The Game). "With Pat [Spencer] playing as well as he is, it's just where it is right now, but it can change very quickly."

Kerr citing the energy that Santos brought the court, despite only scoring two points in six minutes, is very telling, even if Kerr didn't relinquish more specific information about benching Kuminga.

Limiting Kuminga during the Friday loss is also a major decision when it's considered that the Warriors were out-rebounded against the Timberwolves while having their team leader in rebounds in Kuminga sitting on the bench the whole time. 

Furthermore, not using Kuminga is a financially expensive decision Kuminga signed a two-year, $48.5 million contract this offseason after weeks of deliberation between himself and the Warriors that effectively held up the rest of the Warriors offseason. Not utilizing Kuminga after putting such a heavy monetary investment in him is not a decision that can be taken lightly.

It remains to be seen what will happen with Kuminga's usage in the coming games and if he will have anything to say about his lack of minutes if pressed, but there is another option for the Warriors if Kerr remains to feel that Kuminga needs to stay on the bench rather than on the court.

Kuminga could be a valuable trade piece for the Warriors if they want to make a decision outside of keeping him with the team. He's still a high-profile forward and dealing him in some kind of package would not only free up Golden State cap space with his freshly signed contract off the books, it could also help the Warriors avoid parting with other big names or draft picks, 

Players like Trey Murphy III, Ivica Zubac and Herb Jones have all been suggested as potential trade targets for the Warriors, all names that would revamp the Warriors defense among other positives, and Kuminga would be a necessary inclusion to swing any of those deals. 

Kuminga could make his return to the court should he amp up the energy that Kerr is looking for or he could find his energy elsewhere as the Warriors try to restructure their roster.