Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga (ankle) plans to return Thursday, sources say - ESPN

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga plans to return and play on Thursday against Sacramento for the first time since injuring his right ankle on Jan. 4, sources told ESPN.

Kuminga has missed 31 straight games. He has been scrimmaging for the past couple of weeks and the team has been taking it cautiously with its most athletic and explosive forward.

Prior to his injury, Kuminga was playing the best basketball of his career, averaging 20.5 points in his past 14 games. He had scored 20 or more points in four of the six games before the game in which he injured his ankle.

During that stretch, Kuminga scored 34 points twice.

Head coach Steve Kerr said Kuminga will come off the bench when he returns as he has settled on a starting lineup with Golden State surging. Since acquiring Jimmy Butler prior to the trade deadline in early February, the Warriors have won 12 of 14 games, including going 12-1 with Butler in the lineup. The Warriors have won five straight entering Thursday's game against Sacramento.

Kerr said the team will continue to take a cautious approach with Kuminga and ease the athletic forward back.

«It's a really difficult thing when you are playing really well and have a key guy coming back,» Kerr told reporters on Saturday. «It's always tough. I think the idea is just bring him along slowly, play him in short bursts, help him get his rhythm back. But we got to keep playing Gui Santos, keep playing the guys who are helping us win now. Usually this stuff has to kind of play out so we will hope that it plays out.»

Kuminga is set to become a restricted free agent this summer. Draymond Green has said he doesn't want his young teammate to be preoccupied with trying to get everything back quickly because