The vibe around Chase Center is weird right now. Honestly, there is no other way to put it. You have a team that just grinded out a 126-113 win over the New York Knicks on Thursday, moving to a season-high four games over .500, yet the post-game chatter wasn’t about the win. It was about a 23-year-old forward who hasn't seen the floor in weeks.
Jonathan Kuminga officially wants out.
The Golden State Warriors news rumors mill went into overdrive on January 15, the very first day Kuminga became trade-eligible under his new contract. He didn't wait. He didn't hesitate. He basically told the front office that the "mixed signals" have to stop. For a guy who was supposed to be the bridge to the post-Steph era, the bridge is currently on fire.
The Kuminga Standpoint: Why Now?
Kuminga’s situation is messy. He signed a two-year, $46.8 million deal over the summer, but it felt like a forced marriage from the jump. He’s appeared in only 18 games this season, averaging 11.8 points. That is a massive drop-off from a guy who was putting up 24 a night in last year's playoffs.
Steve Kerr is in a tough spot. He wants Kuminga to be a "star in his role"—defending with high energy, crashing the glass, and playing off the gravity created by Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. Kuminga, understandably, wants to be the guy with the ball.
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The friction reached a boiling point in early January. Kuminga sat out against Oklahoma City with "back soreness," but multiple team sources later told The Athletic they suspect he wasn't actually hurt. One anonymous teammate even said, "I wouldn't have played either... it's clear the coach doesn't believe in him."
When your own locker room is leaking that kind of stuff, the writing is on the wall.
Where Could He Go?
The Sacramento Kings are the most persistent name in the Golden State Warriors news rumors cycle. They’ve wanted him since last summer. But there’s a catch.
- The Kings are hesitant to include a first-round pick now. They offered Malik Monk and a protected first in the offseason, but now that Kuminga’s value has tanked due to DNPs, they’re playing hardball.
- The Lakers and Mavericks are lurking. Imagine Kuminga running the floor with Luka Doncic? It makes sense on paper, but the Warriors don't want to take back long-term "bad" money.
- The Pelicans have been called about Trey Murphy III, but they aren't picking up the phone.
Stephen Curry and the "Business as Usual" Mask
While the front office deals with the trade demand, Steph Curry is out here playing through a quad contusion. He admitted it after the Knicks game. He was limping in the tunnel. It's a sobering reminder that while the roster drama steals headlines, the actual on-court success still lives and dies with No. 30.
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Curry is currently averaging about 28.8 points per game. He’s 37. It’s ridiculous.
The Warriors are 23-19 and sitting 8th in the West. They are finally finding a rhythm, thanks in part to Moses Moody stepping up and Quinten Post holding down the middle. But the depth is thin. Seth Curry is still out with a sciatic nerve issue and won't be back until late January at the earliest.
Draymond Green, ever the vet, is trying to downplay the Kuminga drama. He told Anthony Slater of The Athletic that Kuminga "is not a distraction." Easy for Draymond to say—he’s been here 14 years. For a young guy trying to get paid, every minute on the bench feels like a million dollars flying out the window.
The Front Office Strategy
Mike Dunleavy Jr. isn't in a rush. The trade deadline is February 5. The Warriors are posturing like they might just keep Kuminga until the summer when he becomes an expiring contract.
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Rival executives think that’s a bluff.
The Warriors want athletic frontcourt players or 3&D wings. They’ve been linked to Daniel Gafford and Nic Claxton. They have their 2026 first-round pick available to move, though they are being much more protective of their 2028 and 2030 picks.
The reality? They need a "win-now" piece. Jimmy Butler wasn't brought in to wait for a 23-year-old to find his "self-awareness."
Practical Steps for the Deadline
If you're following the Golden State Warriors news rumors to see how this shakes out, keep an eye on these specific indicators over the next three weeks:
- The Rotation Check: If Kuminga continues to get DNP-CDs even in blowouts, a trade is 100% happening before Feb 5. Kerr’s refusal to play him in "garbage time" is the ultimate signal of a severed relationship.
- The "Salary Match" Names: Watch players like Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski. To get a real impact player back, the Warriors might have to package one of them with Kuminga to make the numbers work.
- The Kings' Offer: If Keon Ellis or a lightly protected pick enters the conversation from Sacramento, that deal likely gets done fast.
The Warriors are currently four games over .500 for the first time this year. They are survive-and-advancing. But to actually contend in a West that has the Thunder and Nuggets looking like juggernauts, they have to turn the Kuminga "asset" into an actual basketball player who touches the floor.
Keep your notifications on for February 5. It’s going to be a long three weeks in the Bay.