Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors
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Jonathan Kuminga smiles before a Warriors game in San Francisco, as questions swirl about his future with the team.
A new potential landing spot has quietly entered the conversation surrounding Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga’s future.
The emergence of a new Kuminga trade suitor has added a fresh layer of intrigue to Golden State’s deadline planning.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Los Angeles Lakers — long in the market for a true 3-and-D wing — contacted the Warriors about Kuminga last summer and have continued to monitor his situation as the trade deadline approaches.
“The purple-and-gold’s known preference at this deadline is to acquire a true 3-and-D wing with size,” Fischer wrote Monday in The Stein Line, “and the Lakers, according to sources, did call Golden State about Kuminga during the sides’ summer standoff in restricted free agency. I’m told that the Lakers have likewise continued to monitor Kuminga’s situation while casting a wide net.”
It marks the first reported connection between the Lakers and Kuminga — and adds a new layer to a market that has been quietly forming around the 22-year-old forward.
Kuminga Trade Eligibility Opens Jan. 15, but Warriors Not Rushing
Kuminga’s trade restriction will be lifted Jan. 15 — three days from now and roughly three weeks before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. While that date opens formal possibilities, Golden State is not treating it as a finish line.
“Golden State understands that it might need until Feb. 5,” Fischer reported, noting that the market for Kuminga has been slower to materialize than expected.
The Warriors are not looking to move Kuminga simply to move him.
“Their hope was that Kuminga would be able to yield a legitimate rotational piece (or two) in an eventual deal that could give a clear boost to Golden State’s championship probability while Stephen Curry continues to play at an MVP-caliber level,” Fischer wrote.
That framing is important: the Warriors are not rebuilding. They are recalibrating — carefully as they await the most serious Kuminga trade suitor.
Why the Lakers Fit the Kuminga Conversation
The Lakers’ interest stands out because of their unique roster construction.
They are hunting for a perimeter defender with size and shooting — a profile that overlaps with Kuminga’s theoretical upside — and they possess a large collection of expiring contracts that could appeal to Golden State’s desire for flexibility.
The Warriors previously rejected a Sacramento sign-and-trade framework last summer that involved Malik Monk and a protected first-round pick, in part because Monk carried future financial commitments the Warriors did not want to absorb.
Los Angeles, by contrast, can offer expiring money such as Rui Hachimura’s contract and a young shooter like Dalton Knecht — whose off-ball shooting and movement fit Steve Kerr’s system — without tying Golden State’s books beyond next season.
Warriors Continue to Value Flexibility and Fit
Golden State’s front office has been consistent: they are prioritizing roster fit and financial agility over asset accumulation.
Any Kuminga deal must bring back pieces that contribute now without constraining the future.
That calculus explains why the Warriors have remained patient, even as the deadline nears.
Agent’s Cryptic Post Adds Public Tension
Kuminga’s situation gained a public edge Sunday night after Golden State’s 124–111 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Kuminga was a coach’s decision DNP (CD-DNP), the latest in a string of benchings for the former No. 7 pick. Shortly after the game, his agent, Aaron Turner, posted a highlight reel of Kuminga’s 25-point performance against Atlanta from the 2023-24 season — with no caption, no commentary, and no explanation.
The timing did the talking.
The Warriors had just seen their three-game home winning streak snapped. They were outpaced in transition, outshot from deep, and outworked defensively — the very areas Kuminga is theoretically meant to help.
The post ignited debate and renewed trade buzz.