The Golden State Warriors and forward Jonathan Kuminga have seemingly had a strained relationship for a while now. Kuminga was a restricted free agent last offseason and didn’t re-sign with the Warriors until the very end of September.
Kuminga and head coach Steve Kerr seemingly don’t get along, either, as Kuminga has routinely been given very few or no minutes. Now, one NBA insider believes a trade is inevitable.
NBA Insider Expects Jonathan Kuminga Trade Ahead of Deadline
Kuminga has played in just 18 games this season and has 13 starts. The former first-round pick is averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 43.1% from the field.
Because Kuminga waited so long to sign his contract, he cannot be traded until January 15. NBA insider Sam Amick appeared on FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back” on Tuesday and was asked when the Kuminga situation will have a resolution.
“I think soon,” Amick explained. “I was around their group the other day, and to say the temperature is hot is a bit of an understatement.”
Things seemed to come to a head last Friday night. The Warriors were preparing to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, and it was revealed that Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green would all miss the game.
One would think that would mean a larger role for Kuminga, but the wing was also ruled out just before the game with an apparent injury.
Co-host and former NBA star Chandler Parsons chimed in and asked Amick if Kerr simply doesn’t like Kuminga.
“Two things are true,” said Amick. “(Kerr) doesn’t like the way (Kuminga) plays the game a lot of times, and yes, you hear consistently that there’s something there. They rub each other the wrong way.”
“(Steve Kerr) doesn’t like the way (Jonathan Kuminga) plays the game a lot of times… they rub each other the wrong way.” 😬
Although the Warriors are “devaluing” JK, Sam Amick expects a trade 👀@sam_amick | @MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/lRgeCt9Usa
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 6, 2026
It will be interesting to see if the Warriors can land a key contributor for a package centered around Kuminga. Kerr did recently caution fans not to expect a huge move, but it seems more and more likely a Kuminga trade will happen.
Warriors Stuck in the Middle of a Tough Western Conference
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Warriors. As of Tuesday, the team is 19-18 and in third place in the Pacific Division. If the playoffs started today, the Warriors would be in the Play-In Tournament as the eighth seed.
Per NBA Advanced Stats, the team ranks fifth in net defense rating and 20th in net offense rating. It will be interesting to see if the team can package Kuminga in a trade that would result in another offensive playmaker next to Curry and Butler.
The Warriors suffered a tough one-point loss to the hot Los Angeles Clippers on Monday and will next face off against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.