Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors
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Jonathan Kuminga reacts during a Warriors game as the team draws a firm line in ongoing trade talks around his future.
The Golden State Warriors are expected to open serious trade conversations around Jonathan Kuminga once his restriction is lifted on Jan. 15, but one of their preferred pathways has already hit a familiar obstacle.
According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Warriors have explored Kuminga’s market with several teams, but they are maintaining firm boundaries in negotiations — particularly around long-term money.
“As expected, they’ve had exploratory conversations with several teams about Jonathan Kuminga, but they’ve expressed an unwillingness to take on contracts that extend beyond this season if they view them as negative-value deals,” Slater reported. “That’s been an impediment dating back to the summer, when they declined interest in Malik Monk from Sacramento in sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga.”
That stance immediately complicates what the Warriors view as their ideal outcome: turning Kuminga into a young, cost-controlled two-way wing without sacrificing future flexibility.
Warriors Seeking Two-Way Wing, but Market Is Tight
ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst previously summed up Golden State’s preferred return for Kuminga as “a two-way wing in his 20s under control on a contract without having to add a first-round pick.”
One player fits that description almost perfectly: Trey Murphy III.
Murphy, 25, is under contract on a four-year, $112 million deal, shoots at elite volume and efficiency from three, and has developed into a versatile defender capable of guarding multiple positions. He recently became the Pelicans’ franchise leader in three-pointers made.
But New Orleans has made clear that Murphy is not available.
Pelicans Resist Trade Interest in Trey Murphy and Herb Jones
NBA insider Marc Stein reported this week that the Pelicans continue to draw a hard line around their core wings.
“The Pelicans are still resistant to trade interest in both Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III,” Stein wrote this week in The Stein Line.
That stance has remained unchanged since last summer, when Stein and his co-reporter Jake Fischer first noted that New Orleans had batted away calls for Murphy despite significant interest.
“Sources say that the Warriors have a strong affinity for Murphy and have made outreach to New Orleans as recently as this summer,” Fischer reported in August. “Yet sources say that the Pelicans, to be clear, have batted away calls for the 25-year-old, valuing him highly.”
NBA on Amazon Prime’s Chris Haynes later confirmed Golden State’s interest, reporting that the Warriors had inquired about Murphy’s availability.
For now, that door appears closed.
Kuminga’s Status and Expanding Trade Landscape
Steve Kerr, Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors
GettyThe Jonathan Kuminga trade talks take shape after Steve Kerr removes him from the Golden State Warriors rotation anew.
Kuminga has not played since Dec. 18, and his absence — combined with his looming contract situation — has only intensified speculation about his future.
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor reported that at least three teams have been linked to Kuminga in recent discussions.
“League sources told Yahoo Sports at least three other teams have been linked to Kuminga: the Blazers, Pelicans and Wizards,” O’Connor wrote.
New Orleans’ inclusion is notable but likely reflects general interest rather than a specific Murphy-centered framework, given the Pelicans’ stance.
Previously, Sacramento, Phoenix and Chicago were also connected to Kuminga during offseason talks. According to O’Connor, Golden State did not like the Kings’ or Suns’ offers, while discussions with the Bulls eventually fizzled out.
That leaves Portland and Washington as potential pivot points.
“Hypothetically, Portland has Jerami Grant or Jrue Holiday to realistically offer in a trade,” O’Connor added.
Those options, however, run directly into the Warriors’ stated reluctance to absorb long-term salary they view as negative value.
Warriors Caught Between Flexibility and Urgency
The Warriors’ position reflects a broader tension in their roster construction.
They want to extract value from Kuminga before he reaches a contract crossroads, but they also want to preserve financial flexibility and avoid locking themselves into deals that could age poorly.
That balance becomes harder as the trade deadline approaches and as other teams begin to clarify their own directions.
For now, Golden State remains active — but selective.
The Warriors are listening. They are exploring. But they are not desperate.
And until a team emerges that can offer a young, two-way wing on a contract the Warriors can live with — without demanding draft capital or saddling them with long-term money — Jonathan Kuminga’s future in Golden State remains unresolved, suspended between possibility and resistance in a trade market that has yet to open the door the Warriors are hoping to walk through.