Just when you thought that the Golden State Warriors and former lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga were beginning to gel, things suddenly appear to be headed south fast. Kuminga and the Warriors got off to a strong start, with many praising Kuminga for his defensive play and his improvement as a passer.
However, the Warriors quickly cooled off, and so did Kuminga. He had trouble with turnovers and reverted back to some of his frustrating flaws. That resulted in him being benched in favor of a new starting lineup that prioritizes spacing around Steph Curry.
That clearly rubbed Kuminga the wrong way, and Warriors insider Anthony Slater recently mentioned that Kuminga "feels like the scapegoat again."
He is currently out of the lineup as he recovers from tendonitis, though his comments and his declining play won't build well for him when he returns. He simply hasn't been able to consistently fit into what the Warriors and Coach Steve Kerr want to do.
Worse yet, he has been outspoken about his role, or lack thereof, on the team before. That makes the Warriors' looming decision regarding Kuminga much easier.
The Warriors must finally trade Jonathan Kuminga
It seems that he has been on the trade block off and on for years now, but the Warriors must finally pull the trigger and trade Kuminga while they still can. It's clear that he doesn't have a future with Golden State, and the Warriors clearly don't value him all that much.
As a result, they should trade him come January 15, 2026 (the earliest day he can be traded), and just be done with it. They shouldn't wait until the February trade deadline to do so, with them needing help now and it being an almost forgotten conclusion that he will be moved.
Considering that the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns were both interested in him this past off-season, they could look to gauge their trade interest in hopes of finding a deal that suits both sides. Of the two teams, the Kings appear to be the most desperate and are frankly the most poorly run team in the NBA.
That makes the Kings a seemingly perfect trade partner and raises the hopes that the Warriors could extract a juicy first-round pick in exchange for shipping Kuminga to an in-state rival.
That could be for the best for all sides, with the Warriors finally moving on from him, the Kings getting a player who could hopefully develop into something, and Kuminga getting a fresh start with a new team. Let's just hope it happens sooner rather than later.