Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green all stressed that Jonathan Kuminga's trade request and rumors around him aren't a distraction, praising his focus, character, and potential.
Jonathan Kuminga is once again the focus for the Golden State Warriors after requesting a trade on January 15. That same night, the Warriors beat the New York Knicks 126-113 at home, and naturally, the team's stars addressed the situation after the game.
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Stephen Curry insisted the situation isn't a distraction for the team.
"It's not a distraction at all," Steph noted. "It's a very unique situation, but our job is to just keep playing, keep winning. It'll resolve itself one way or the other.
"We've done it this whole time, so we are very well-trained in this area to just play basketball."
When asked if he had spoken to Kuminga about the trade, Curry replied:
"Not specifically about that, no."
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Jimmy Butler agrees that the Warriors are not listening to the outside noise.
"We love JK in this locker room. That's not gonna change," Butler said. "If he happens to not be here, we still rock with JK. That's peace to everybody. I don't care, I speak for everybody. We love the guy. I wish him the best here, I wish him the best wherever. That doesn't change.
"We don't listen to the noise. I hope he don't listen to the noise. He keep coming here with a smile, doing what he supposed to do... seeing an ultimate pro."
Butler, who has become close friends with Kuminga during his time in the Bay Area, was asked if he thinks Kuminga needs to explore other opportunities.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't got nothing to do with me," Butler responded. "I want JK to be happy. At the end of the day, that's what I want. Whatever brings him his joy and his happiness, that's what I want for my brother. Not my friend, that's my brother, like my brother."
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Draymond Green, meanwhile, says it all depends on the person himself, who goes through situations like these.
"How he handles it is everything. You know, handled it a certain way, it becomes a distraction. But it doesn't have to be. And the way he's handled himself, the way he's dealt with things not going his way, says a lot about his character," Green said.
"So, everyone around here can confidently say it won't be a distraction because he's not a distraction."
Green also shared his hopes for Kuminga's future.
"I desire to see him reach his full potential," Draymond mentioned. "Wherever that is in this league, it's not always how we envision it. I've been so lucky and fortunate to play in one place for 14 years. How rare is that, though? The reality is that it happens the opposite way than the way that it's gone for me, or Steph, or Klay. 13-14 years in one spot.
"For a guy who was drafted 7th pick, you expected it all to go the way you want it to go, the way you think it should go. And sometimes it just doesn't work out that way," the veteran forward added. "But that doesn't make him any worse of a player. That doesn't make this any worse of an organization. Sometimes things just don't work out.
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"But he's making life-changing money ultimately. We all love basketball. We all want to play. We all want to win. But most importantly, we all want to take care of our family. And he's in a position right now where he's making life-changing money.
"Usually, that comes with a certain role in basketball on a team. It hasn't worked that way for him. But I know how talented he is. I know how good of a teammate he is. I know how good of a person he is. And usually when you have those three things going for you, it works out in the end.
"So, I have zero doubt that no matter what happens with him -- whether it's here, anywhere else, it's going to work out for him in the end because he works his tail off, and he's a great person, and a great teammate. And things work for those guys."
The Warriors had spent much of the offseason negotiating to re-sign Kuminga, ultimately agreeing on a two-year, $46.8 million deal with a team option for the second year.
Several teams have shown interest in the 23-year-old wing this trade season.
The Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks are reportedly exploring deals that could fit their rebuilds, while the Los Angeles Lakers remain in the mix.
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