Jonathan Kuminga
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One NBA trade proposal has the Golden State Warriors moving Jonathan Kuminga for Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen.
The Warriors were hot and cold on Jonathan Kuminga throughout the 2025 NBA playoffs, benching the fourth-year forward in multiple games.
Kuminga received four DNPs, meaning he played in only eight of his team’s 12 playoff games. Many wondered why the Warriors’ coaching staff did not trust Kuminga, who incidentally led all players in scoring (20.8 points at 54% shooting) in the second-round series against the Timberwolves.
According to The Ringer’s Logan Murdock, Kuminga’s DNPs were directly related to his poor attitude and reluctance to play within the flow of Golden State’s offense. Murdock noted that Kuminga “irked” the Warriors coaching staff during a game against the Trail Blazers on April 12, 2025, in which he scored 10 points.
Due to the incident on April 12, Kuminga would subsequently receive a DNP in the regular-season finale against the Clippers and the play-in game against the Grizzlies.
Jonathan Kuminga ‘Irked’ Warriors Coaches
Murdock wrote, “Despite his talent, Kuminga’s propensity to look for his shot at the expense of the flow of Golden State’s offense has irked the coaching staff.
“During a late-season game against the Blazers, team sources say Kerr was incensed after several instances in which Kuminga looked off [Stephen] Curry to create his own offense. Kuminga subsequently received DNPs in the Warriors’ regular-season finale against the Clippers and then again in their play-in matchup against the Grizzlies. By the start of the playoffs, many within the organization wondered whether Kuminga, who is eligible for an extension, had played his last game as a Warrior.”
The report added that the Warriors have been on the fence against Kuminga ever since they drafted him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
“Throughout his career, Kuminga has had to navigate conflicting opinions of his game within the Warriors organization,” wrote Murdock.
Warriors Could Trade Kuminga
“On the one hand, he has long been considered a favorite of team co-executive chairman Joe Lacob, who has viewed him as the kind of talent to carry the Warriors into the post-Curry era. On the other, he’s been unable to earn the consistent trust of the coaching staff, leading to his being yanked in and out of the rotation.”
Kuminga, a restricted free agent, could be used by the Warriors as a trade chip in the 2025 offseason to land a quality three-and-D wing. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has predicted a potential sign-and-trade scenario involving Cam Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets, a team known to covet Jonathan Kuminga.
Since the Warriors have the right to match any and all offer sheets for Kuminga, their best bet would be to use the Congolese forward in sign-and-trade scenarios.
“It’s hard to imagine the 22-year-old would willingly sign up for more of this treatment [DNPs],” Buckley wrote on May 14.
“Of course, because he’s a restricted free agent, the decision surrounding his next move won’t entirely be his. He can sign where he pleases—though he’ll feel the same cap squeeze as everyone—but the Warriors will have the option to match any offer sheet.”
If the insiders are to be believed, Kuminga may have played his last game as a Warrior. The athletic forward scored 26 points, but couldn’t do enough to avoid a 121-110 loss.