Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga became eligible to be traded on Thursday, and it didn’t take him long to ask out. NBA insiders Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported that Kuminga has demanded a trade away from the Warriors, as he looks to end what has been a frustrating tenure with the franchise.
Despite the Kuminga situation hanging over them like a dark cloud, the Warriors managed to beat the New York Knicks 126-113 at Chase Center on Thursday. Warriors superstar Stephen Curry was asked postgame about this situation potentially serving as a distraction, and he made it clear it wasn’t.
“It’s not a distraction at all,” Curry said, via Slater. “It’s a very unique situation, but our job is to just keep playing, keep winning. It’ll resolve itself one way or the other.”
When asked why this wouldn’t be a distraction with so much noise about it, Curry had a simple response.
“You’ve been around for the last three, four years, Curry stated. “We’ve done it this whole time. So, very, very well trained in this area to just play basketball.”
Curry was also asked if he had spoken to Kuminga in the last couple of days, and said they hadn’t discussed this topic. Fellow longtime Warrior Draymond Green has stated this won’t be a distraction either, and he was full of praise for Kuminga in his postgame interview on NBA on Prime.
“He’s dealing with it better than probably I would,” Green said. “… The way he’s dealt with this at 23 years old, I tip my hat to him because he’s stayed engaged, he’s in here working out every day, his attitude is the same every day. He comes in with a smile, he’s talking. He almost talks too much on the bench, and that is a compliment in itself.
“When you are 23 years old,” Green continued. “You sign a big contract with the team that drafted you with the seventh pick… things are looking up, and then it doesn’t. How do you respond to that? How do you react? And the way he’s reacted and responded to this will not only carry the rest of his basketball career, but his demeanor will carry him the rest of his life well because he’s been incredible.
“I tip my hat to him,” Green added. “… He’s staying ready. So like I said on the show, whether he’s here past the deadline or whether he’s moved past the deadline, one thing’s for certain is he’ll be in shape, and he’ll be ready. He brings a great attitude… He’s one of the best young guys I’ve been around.”
That is quite the endorsement. Some players certainly would have reacted in a far worse manner than Kuminga has. He hasn’t played a single minute in any of the Warriors’ last 14 games, and hasn’t lashed out or done anything along those lines.
Head coach Steve Kerr had given Kuminga, who has averaged 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2025-26, a DNP for 13 of those. He looked set to feature on Jan. 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder as multiple players were out, but was a late scratch due to lower back soreness.
There has been plenty of talk about the head coach and player not getting along, but Kerr stated that his relationship with Kuminga is fine. He called it a tough situation, but had no interest in sharing any details about their conversations.
While Kuminga has been around Curry, Green, and Kerr his entire career, it sure has seemed like he’s closest to Jimmy Butler, who only arrived via trade from the Miami Heat in February 2025. Butler made it clear postgame that he and the rest of the team will have a lot of love for the 23-year-old even if he’s no longer with them.
“We love JK in this locker room,” Butler said, via Slater. “That’s not going to change. If that happens to not be in here, we still rock with JK. I speak for everybody… We love the guy. I wish him the best here. I wish him the best wherever.”
Butler was also asked if he would like the Warriors to ship Kuminga out of town so that he can get his career off the ground elsewhere, and he did not want to get dragged into that.
“Hey, hey, hey, hey,” Butler said. “It don’t got nothing to do with me. I want JK to be happy. At the end of the day, that’s what I want. Whatever brings him his joy and his happiness, that’s what I want for my brother. Not my friend. That’s my brother.”
A move away does seem to be what will bring Kuminga happiness. It’s a pity that things just didn’t work out here.
The Warriors had selected Kuminga with the seventh pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He was seen as a key piece of their young core, but was never quite able to establish himself on the team for one reason or another.
Kuminga’s being a starter for the first 12 games of this season gave hope that things were finally changing, but it wasn’t to be. Parting ways is in the best interests of both parties.
We have listed the five best landing spots for Kuminga, and a lot of eyes will be on this situation as we get closer to the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
