Jonathan Kuminga wants out of Golden State, and the Warriors appear just as ready to move on. On Thursday, the first day his contract made him eligible to be traded, the fifth-year forward formally requested a trade from the Golden State Warriors, league sources told ESPN. The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 5, and while the Warriors have offered no public assurances that a deal will be completed, rival executives believe a move is inevitable.
Kuminga’s relationship with the organization unraveled quickly and publicly. After starting the first 12 games of the season, head coach Steve Kerr labeled him a “secure starter” following a strong opening stretch. That role did not last. A subsequent downturn in performance led to a demotion, and eventually, a full removal from the rotation.
Kuminga has not appeared in any of the Warriors’ past 13 games. His last action came Dec. 18, when he logged just nine minutes. The breaking point came Jan. 2, when Kuminga ruled himself out with back soreness roughly an hour before a game against Oklahoma City, despite Kerr saying he had planned to play him with the starters resting.
“I’m disappointed for him that things didn’t continue to go the way they did the first couple of weeks,” Kerr said recently.
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A Contract Built for a Trade
The tension dates back to the offseason. Golden State and Kuminga endured a contentious restricted free agency process that ultimately resulted in a two-year, $46.8 million deal with a team option for the second season. League sources say Kuminga felt pressured into accepting the structure, which further strained his relationship with management.
From the Warriors’ perspective, the contract was deliberate. The $24.3 million team option for 2025-26 gives Golden State maximum flexibility: they can decline it to create an expiring deal, exercise it as a low-risk upside play, or use it as clean trade ballast.
That flexibility has fueled leaguewide interest. The Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks have both explored Kuminga as a potential acquisition, with other teams monitoring the situation closely. However, Golden State has made its stance clear: expiring contracts are the priority.
That position has stalled talks with Sacramento. The Warriors have “refused” to take on the remaining three years and $60.4 million on Malik Monk’s contract, per ESPN, unless the return represents “no-brainer positive value.” Keon Ellis, on a cheap expiring deal, is viewed internally as a potential sweetener of interest.
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What Comes Next
Golden State’s front office, led by Mike Dunleavy, has canvassed the market for weeks. While the Warriors are open to packaging multiple first-round picks for the right star, they are more protective of selections in 2028 and beyond than their 2026 pick.
Internally, league sources say there is rare alignment across the organization, from Kuminga himself to Kerr to veterans frustrated by watching a $22.5 million player sit during what Jimmy Butler recently labeled a “mediocre” season.
The Warriors insist waiting until summer remains an option. Around the league, few are buying it.
