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Jonathan Kuminga #1 of the Golden State Warriors sits on the the bench during their game against the New York Knicks during the second quarter at Chase Center on January 15, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
Whether it’s injuries, postponed games, or overall uncertainty about their future, the Golden State Warriors have arguably had the most tumultuous week in the NBA.
Their long-shot title hopes came crashing down after Jimmy Butler’s ACL injury.The team had a game postponed as they werein the midst of the league’sinvolvement in the protests and civil unrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and they still haven’t decided on the future of Jonathan Kuminga.
While the 23-year-old was previously a shoo-in to be traded before the February 5th deadline, that no longer looks to be the case, regardless of how hard head coach Steve Kerr has silently tried express his lack of need for the player in his rotation.With the Butler injury andtheir uncertaintygoing forward, signs point to the Warriors keeping Kuminga for the rest of the year, whetherthey orhe wants that or not.
“Multiple team sources have described it as less likely Kumingais moved followingJimmy Butler‘sright ACL tear,” Anthony Slater wrote for ESPN. “Prior to that injury, Kuminga was a $22.5 million wing rotting on the bench, having not seen the floor for 16 straight games. Without Butler, he’s back in the mix, scoring 30 points in 30 bench minutes before the injury.”
NBACentral
The Warriors are now less likely to trade Jonathan Kuminga now that Jimmy Butler is hurt, per @anthonyVslater
“Multiple team sources have described it as less likely Kuminga is moved following Jimmy Butler’s right ACL tear. Prior to that injury, Kuminga was a $22.5 million wing
Kuminga got back into the lineup for a game and a half before he went down with his own knee injury. As Golden State has yet to announce a timeline for a return, the idea of himbeing traded before the deadline seems to be a fleeting one as the days go on.
Jonathan Kuminga Trade Rumors
As mentioned, Kumingawas previously expected not be on Golden State by February 5th, but the Butler injury changed that. Despite him publicly demanding a trade, as reported by Slater and Shams Charania, all indications say heis stuck in the Bay Area for the time being.
After his long contract drama and the issues that followed, along with his subsequentbenching by Kerr, the Warriors were formerly thought to move the wing player for someone else who could come in and bring a spark tothis current team. But with Butler now out, the team’s title hopes thrown out the window, the idea of moving Kuminga and their other assets for a playerthat could, at best, help bring them to the playoffs,remains a risky and likely unnecessary move, for the time being.
For the entire first half of the season, their roster didn’t look like one that could win four-straight postseason rounds, so why would trading Kuminga for someone else drastically change that?
Anthony Slater
Mike Dunleavy on the Jonathan Kuminga trade demand: “I’m aware of that. In terms of demands, when you make a demand there needs to be demand.”
“Kuminga’s salary is still very much available on the market and could be a needed puzzle piece if a larger-scale trade materializes,” Slater added. “His desire for a fresh start is known, but so is general manager Mike Dunleavy’sunwillingness to make what he views as a bad value deal just to acquiesce to Kuminga’s wishes.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo remains the grand prize, but all signs point to the Warriors, as well as several other teams, targeting him this summer. In that same vein, when more assets are available to be moved, that is likely when they’ll decide on Kuminga’s fate.
While the Sacramento Kings have consistently shown interest, Golden State reportedly doesn’t like their offers.Same casewith the Los Angeles Lakers. The two 3-and-D stars from New Orleans in Herb Jones and Trey Murphy appear off the table, so if it isn’t Antetokounmpo, why risk what is already a failed season?
The Warriors have already done it in the past, but this season feels like a ‘regroup and rebuild’ year for Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Kerr, and whoever else is on the roster in the late summer.
Warriors Injury Report
While his future is still uncertain, as the team could move him at a moment’s notice (though they haven’t yet), Kuminga remains out with a bone bruise. Golden State hasn’t announced any specifics, and while that could signal they are keeping him out because they’ve been in advanced trade talks with acertain team, all that is known is that he isn’t on the court helping his current squadright now.
Curry and Green missed the last game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with lingering knee and back issues, respectively. If the franchise does decide to punt on this season, they can be expected on the injury report more often.
Al Horford also didn’t play on Monday, continuing his regimen of skipping back-to-backs. Seth Curry continues to be sidelined with a bout of sciatica in his lower back, having not played since early December.
Finally, Butler is out for the rest of the year and potentially a decent chunk of next season, too.
Regardless of whether the teamwas set to trade Kuminga or not before he went down, Butler’s torn ACL was the turning point of Golden State’s season. They didn’t have massive title hopes with him in the lineup, but with him set for a long road to recovery, it marked the definitive point at which the ‘fading dynasty‘ finally started to show real signs of coming to an end.