As the Golden State Warriors are in the dog days of their season, the team will have some business to attend to regarding young forward Jonathan Kuminga. While rumors have swirled around Kuminga and the Warriors for some time now, the latest news heavily suggests that he would like to be elsewhere.
According to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of ESPN, Kuminga “has demanded a trade away” from Golden State ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.
“On the first day he becomes eligible to be moved, fifth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga has demanded a trade away from the Golden State Warriors, league sources tell ESPN,” Charania and Slater wrote on Thursday morning. “Because of the contract he signed this summer, Kuminga couldn't be traded until Jan. 15. The trade deadline is Feb. 5.”
Jonathan Kuminga's days with the Warriors had been numbered
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) walks off the court after being removed from the game during the fourth quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
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As it seemed apparent that Kuminga had been nearing his final days with the Warriors, previous reports had suggested that a trade close to the deadline was a likely outcome. ClutchPoints' NBA insider Brett Siegel reported earlier in the month that “nothing has changed on that front” regarding Kuminga not wanting to play for Golden State, especially since he hasn't been on the floor since Dec. 18.
“It has been over a year since it became clear Kuminga didn't want to play for the Warriors anymore, and yet nothing has changed on that front. The former seventh overall pick has not played for Golden State since Dec. 18, and that is unlikely to change between now and the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5, league sources told ClutchPoints,” Siegel wrote on Jan. 6.
The tensions between Kuminga and Golden State have been public knowledge, especially regarding the head coach, Steve Kerr, and the player, who have not been on the same page. Still, seeing how Kuminga has not played since Dec. 18, not due to any issue, as he has't been on the injury report, it remains to be seen which teams pursue the 2021 first-round pick.
The Warriors are 22-19, which puts them eighth in the West ahead of Thursday against the New York Knicks.