The NBA trade deadline is officially less than three weeks away, and honestly, the vibes in the Western Conference are getting weird. It’s January 15, 2026. Usually, this is the time when front offices start "monitoring" situations, but today, the league actually caught fire.
Jonathan Kuminga just formally demanded a trade from the Golden State Warriors.
It’s not like we didn't see this coming. The tension between Kuminga and Steve Kerr has been a slow-motion car crash for years. But now that he’s officially eligible to be moved under his new $48.5 million contract, the floodgates are open. The Dallas Mavericks are right at the front of the line, and if you’ve been following the nba trade rumors warriors mavericks fans have been obsessing over, you know this isn't just about a bench player switching jerseys. This is about two franchises trying to save their seasons before the February 5 deadline.
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Why the NBA Trade Rumors Warriors Mavericks Talk is Peaking Right Now
The Mavericks are in a bizarre spot. They’re sitting 12th in the West with a 14-25 record. That’s staggering when you realize they were in the Finals just two years ago. The big gamble they took last February—trading a generational superstar in Luka Doncic to the Lakers for a package centered around Anthony Davis—has, quite frankly, been a disaster.
Davis has played only 29 games for Dallas since the trade. He’s currently out with ligament damage in his left hand, and the "Day-to-Davis" nickname has never felt more cruel to Mavs fans.
So, why Kuminga?
Basically, Dallas needs a spark that isn't attached to a medical report. Kuminga is 23. He’s athletic as hell. Even though he’s been out of the Warriors' rotation for 13 straight games, he’s still averaging nearly 12 points and 6 rebounds in the limited minutes he did get. The Mavs are looking at him as a way to salvage some athleticism next to Kyrie Irving while they wait for AD to heal.
The Anthony Davis to the Bay Speculation
Here is where things get spicy. Some insiders, including Sam Amick, have suggested that the Warriors and Mavericks have actually discussed a blockbuster that would send Anthony Davis to Golden State.
Think about that.
Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Anthony Davis. On paper, it’s a defensive nightmare for the rest of the league. But the math is a total headache. AD is making $54.1 million. Kuminga is making $22.5 million. To make the salaries work, the Warriors would have to gut their depth. We’re talking about potentially moving Andrew Wiggins or Kevon Looney just to get the trade machine to turn green.
Plus, there’s the "competitor" problem. The Toronto Raptors are apparently lurking with a package built around Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. If the Mavs want to hit the reset button on the AD era, they might prefer Toronto's picks over the Warriors' aging roster.
The Steve Kerr vs. Jonathan Kuminga Fallout
You can’t talk about the Warriors' side of this without acknowledging how badly the relationship with Kuminga soured. Kerr recently admitted he was "disappointed" that things didn't work out after a strong start to the 2025-26 season.
That’s coach-speak for "we don't trust him."
Kuminga’s camp believes his growth was stunted. He’s a fifth-year player who has only started 97 games in his career. In Golden State, you either fit the "read and react" system or you sit. Kuminga wants to fly. In Dallas, he’d likely get 35 minutes a night and a green light to attack the rim, which is exactly what he’s been craving.
Other Moving Pieces to Watch
The nba trade rumors warriors mavericks circle isn't happening in a vacuum. There are other names being tossed around that could change the leverage for both teams:
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- Trey Murphy III: The Pelicans are bottom-feeders right now (9 wins!), and Murphy is averaging 21.6 points. The Warriors are reportedly looking at him as a "win-now" wing if the Kuminga/Mavs deal falls through.
- Myles Turner: Rumors are floating about a multi-team trade that would land Turner in Golden State. He’s the stretch-five they’ve wanted for a decade.
- The Cooper Flagg Factor: The Mavs are so bad right now that they’re actually in the hunt for the #1 pick. If they decide to fully tank, they might not want Kuminga at all—they might want every draft pick the Warriors own for the next five years.
What Happens Next?
If you’re a fan, don't expect a deal tonight. Jan 15 is just the day the "legal" trading for these specific contracts begins. The Warriors are notorious for holding out until the final 48 hours to get the best possible leverage.
However, Kuminga’s trade demand is a ticking bomb. The longer he sits on the bench, the lower his value goes. Mike Dunleavy Jr. knows he has to move him.
The Mavericks have a decision to make: do they keep trying to build around a sidelined Anthony Davis, or do they move him to the Warriors for a package of Kuminga and picks to start a real rebuild?
Keep a close eye on the injury reports over the next week. If Anthony Davis's hand recovery gets pushed back, expect the Mavs to get a lot more desperate. If the Warriors lose a few more games and slip further in the play-in standings, they might finally pull the trigger on the superstar trade Steph Curry has been waiting for.
For now, the best move is to watch the salary cap space. Any deal involving these two teams is going to require a third team to take on "bad" money—look at the Brooklyn Nets or the Detroit Pistons to act as the middleman in a three-team swap. High-stakes poker has officially begun.