Steve Kerr, Jonathan Kuminga, Kuminga trade rumors, Warriors
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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shakes hands with Jonathan Kuminga #00 during a time of their game against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half at Chase Center on March 20, 2024 in San Francisco, California.
The Golden State Warriors have made it clear on what they want in return for Jonathan Kuminga — and it signals a front office focused less on long-term roster reshaping and more on flexibility.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, Golden State is prioritizing expiring contracts in any trade involving the former lottery pick, rejecting the idea of taking on long-term money unless it represents overwhelming value.
“League sources said the Warriors have been prioritizing expiring contracts in return for Kuminga,” Charania and Slater reported Thursday. “They’ve declined the idea of taking back long-term contracts unless they view it as a no-brainer positive value.”
The report adds that Kuminga has formally requested a trade now that his trade restriction has lifted — cementing what had been a growing expectation across the league.
Jonathan Kuminga Requests Trade as Warriors Seek Clean Exit
Kuminga has not played since December 18 and has been at the center of mounting tension between the player and organization.
His absence became a flashpoint on January 2, when he ruled himself out with back soreness roughly an hour before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder — a contest in which Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green were all resting. Steve Kerr had indicated beforehand that Kuminga would be featured in the lineup.
Instead, Kuminga did not play.
According to Sam Amick, Marcus Thompson II and Nick Friedell of The Athletic, multiple Warriors sources questioned whether the injury was legitimate.
“Kuminga’s absence certainly raised some eyebrows across the league, and frustration within the Warriors’ organization,” the reporters wrote. “Multiple team sources said they suspect Kuminga wasn’t actually hurt.”
One anonymous Warriors player told The Athletic: “I wouldn’t have played either. It’s clear the coach doesn’t believe in him.”
Charania and Slater added that team sources believe all major parties — including Kuminga, Kerr, and the veteran leadership — agree the best outcome is a trade before the February 5 deadline.
Steve Kerr Explains Why Kuminga Fell Out of Rotation
Last week, Kerr addressed Kuminga’s string of CD-DNPs after starting in 13 games at the start of the season, emphasizing that it was driven by lineup functionality rather than talent evaluation.
“I’m disappointed for him that things didn’t continue to go the way they did the first couple of weeks,” Kerr said. “At the same time, it was going to be tricky to start JK, Jimmy and Draymond at the two, three and four. I think anybody can see that’s a tough combination, just based on shooting.
“Sometimes Steph can offset every spacing obstacle in your way — he’s that good — but in the modern NBA, I think it’s tough to do that.”
Kerr said the team gave the lineup time, but the weaknesses became too significant to ignore.
“We gave that lineup several weeks, and eventually the weaknesses of the lineup were exposed, and that’s why we went in a different direction.”
Kuminga’s Fit Has Long Been Complicated in Golden State
Kuminga was drafted as part of the Warriors’ “two timelines” strategy — an attempt to contend with Curry, Green and Klay Thompson while developing young talent simultaneously.
While Golden State won the 2022 championship, the broader experiment struggled. Kuminga’s desire for a larger offensive role clashed with a motion-heavy system built around Curry’s gravity and ball movement.
Complicating matters further, The Athletic also reported that Kerr preferred Franz Wagner in the 2021 draft. Wagner was selected by Orlando at No. 8 and has since blossomed into a consistent 20-plus point scorer and centerpiece for the Magic.
Kuminga, meanwhile, has never fully carved out a defined identity in Golden State’s structure.
Warriors Seeking Flexibility, Not Just Assets
By prioritizing expiring contracts, the Warriors are signaling a desire for financial flexibility — either to reset around Curry’s remaining prime years or to pursue a separate consolidation move.
The approach suggests Golden State is not seeking young prospects or long-term salary ballast, but optionality.
In other words, the Warriors are not just trading Kuminga.
They are clearing space — financially and strategically — for what comes next.
With the deadline approaching and the relationship clearly fractured, the resolution now feels inevitable.
What remains uncertain is only the destination.