The Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga saga has reached a boiling point.
The 23-year-old forward demanded a trade Thursday, according to ESPN, the first day he’s eligible to be dealt after the restricted free agent signed a two-year, $46.8 million contract with a 2026-27 club option to end rocky negotiations.
That deal did not get reached until the end of September, which hampered the Warriors’ offseason and put Kuminga’s future with the team in question.
Kuminga told people he felt forced into the deal, ESPN reported.
Golden State drafted Kuminga No. 7 overall in 2021 and contributed off the bench during his rookie season, when the team won its fourth NBA championship in eight years.
He broke out during the 2023-24 season, averaging 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds.
Kuminga was limited to 47 games last season due to an ankle injury but averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds.
He then began this season as a starter but got demoted and hasn’t played since Dec. 18. When head coach Steve Kerr was going to reinsert Kuminga on Jan. 2, he was ruled out shortly before the game with a back injury, though questions lingered about whether he was actually hurt.
“I wouldn’t have played either,” an anonymous Warriors player told The Athletic. “It’s clear the coach doesn’t believe in him.”
The Warriors (22-19) sit in eighth place in the Western Conference entering Thursday’s game against the Knicks, though they have won more since Kuminga last played, taking nine of their last 13 games.
Golden State has been relying heavily on an aging core of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler.
Now Kuminga is pushing for a fresh start, and the Lakers and Kings have had interest in him, according to The Athletic.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
