SAN FRANCISCO– In the shadow of the Golden State Warriors' 10th win in 14 games after their 126-113 win over the New York Knicks was the Jonathan Kuminga situation. It permeated the questions posed to Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, it permeated the pre-game question to Steve Kerr, and it hangs around Golden State with all of the most credible journalists putting out their sourced reporting out in the open.
But amid yet another whirlwind of trade rumors and internal drama, as the 23-year-old forward became trade-eligible this week, the Warriors remain confident that it won't become a distraction.
“It's not a distraction at all,” Curry said, in line with what Kerr and Butler said in their own comments.
“It's a very unique situation, but our job is to just keep playing, keep winning. It'll resolve itself. One way or another.”
And after a game in which the Warriors overcame a 17-point first-quarter deficit, it certainly feels that way. It didn't distract Curry from collecting 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting. It didn't distract Butler from putting up a team-high 32 points and 8 rebounds. For now, all indications point to Kuminga's saga remaining in the shadows of what goes on the court.
And for Draymond Green, who's been supportive of Kuminga behind the scenes, he gave a long and candid answer as to why he believes the situation won't become a distraction, despite the growing outside noise.
“Because he's not a distraction. How he handles it is everything. He handles 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. So everyone around here can confidently say it won't be a distraction, because he's not a distraction.”
Draymond Green on why Jonathan Kuminga’s situation will not be a distraction:
“Because he’s not a distraction… Everyone around here can confidently say it won’t be a distraction because he’s not a distraction.”
Talked about his desire to see Kuminga reach his full potential. pic.twitter.com/GPNMXT2T17
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) January 16, 2026
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With Kuminga's camp signalling a deep unhappiness with how the cookie has crumbled in Golden State, citing the lack of opportunity to prove he's capable of the level he thinks he can reach, his future remains murky with no clear path in sight. And not just his future with the Warriors, but his future as a potential star in the NBA.
With Kuminga desiring to ascend elsewhere, Green was asked if he wants for a guy he considers himself close to.
“I desire to see him reach his full potential wherever that is in this league,” Green said. “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?”
“For a guy who's drafted seventh, you expect it all to go the way you wanted to go, the way you think it should go. And sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. 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.”
Green reaffirmed Kuminga's character again and again in his three-minute soundbite regarding the young forward's future. It's a sentiment Butler also reaffirmed, describing Kuminga as his guy and the love the locker room has for him.
At the end of the day, the Kuminga's tensions aren't tied to his teammates. In a lot of ways, it's not even tied to the personal relationship with Steve Kerr. As of this moment, both have maintained it's strictly based on the disagreements regarding the on-court stuff. But the signs point to an end to a tenuous saga. For Green, his belief in Kuminga remains steadfast.
“I have zero doubt that no matter what happens with him, whether it's here or anywhere else, it's going to work out for him in the end, because he works his tail off,” Green said. “He's a great person, a great teammate. And things work for those guys.”