The Golden State Warriors were without some wing depth in their game against the Toronto Raptors, and it will be that way for the rest of the season after Jimmy Butler suffered a torn ACL. That means that players will have to step up, and that's what happened for Jonathan Kuminga, as he saw his first time on the court after being a DNP since Dec 18.
There is still a mystery as to why Kuminga hasn't seen many minutes this season, and he showed against the Raptors why it may have been a bad idea all along. Kuminga finished the game with 20 points and shot an efficient 7-of-10 from the field, and the crowd was excited to see him make plays.
One person excited in particular was owner Joe Lacob, who was sitting courtside during the game, and was seen getting out of his seat when Kuminga was making plays.
Joe Lacob loved Kuminga’s and-1 😤 pic.twitter.com/VeGitUikKA
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 21, 2026
With the vibes not looking great around the team and how they've used Kuminga, the owner looking happy at his play could change a lot. According to Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard, he asked a well-connected NBA person if he saw Laco's reactions to Kuminga's play, and he responded with, “Everybody in the league saw that.”
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That just brings more questions on where the disconnect has been between head coach Steve Kerr playing Kuminga, which has now led the young forward to request a trade.
It's uncertain if he'll get his wish, and general manager Mike Dunleavy recently shared the reality of someone asking for a trade.
“In terms of demands, when you make a demand, there needs to be a demand,” Dunleavy said in a recent press conference.
If Kuminga is not going to get traded, the best thing for the Warriors to do is actually play him, because he showed against the Raptors that he could be useful.