Jonathan Kuminga has officially demanded a trade from the Warriors, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Thursday.
Kuminga became eligible to be traded on January 15; previously he was not able to be traded due to the new contract he signed in the offseason. As soon as that restriction lifted he reportedly requested Golden State trade him.
It is not a shocking development. Kuminga and the Warriors battled through a contentious contract negotiation over the summer after the former lottery pick entered restricted free agency. His preference to play for another team was made clear but Golden State didn’t end up trading him, instead opting to sign him to a two-year, $47 million deal. Kuminga started the season strong but injuries and a general decline to his play resulted in his benching in December. He’s been glued to the sideline ever since and hasn’t played a single minute since a nine-minute stint on December 18. He hasn’t logged significant time on the court since December 6.
The 22-year-old forward averaged 11.8 points and 6.2 rebounds on 43.1% shooting from the floor in 18 appearances this season. His potential as an athletic scorer who can get into the paint at will has been obvious since he entered the league but he never managed to reach that potential with the Warriors. The team’s acquisition of Jimmy Butler at last year’s trade deadline further muddied his fit on the court and coach Steve Kerr ended up benching Kuminga for much of Golden State’s playoff run. He hasn’t proven to be a good fit, and as Charania notes in his report, every “major figure” on the ground level of the team agree it’s time for a trade.
The question is if Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy will actually pull the trigger after a few years of trade rumors. Charania reports the Kings and Mavericks have shown interest in Kuminga previously but Golden State’s insistence on not taking back any long-term money has proven to be an obstacle. The insider further reported the Warriors’ decision-makers have given “zero guarantee” to anybody that Kuminga will be traded by the deadline and believe it may be more prudent to hold off until the offseason. Rival executives believe that stance is a “bluff,” per Charania.
The Kuminga situation has finally come to a head with the Warriors. Will they rip the band-aid off and trade the unhappy player just to maintain chemistry as the team tries to make a playoff run in one of Steph Curry’s final great years? Or will they continue to hold out in an effort to get a return they find acceptable for a player they invested a lottery pick in?
A significant storyline heading into the February 5 trade deadline, with Golden State sitting at eighth in the West with a 22-19 record.
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