Jonathan Kuminga demands trade away from Warriors: reports
SAN FRANCISCO – Jonathan Kuminga wants out of Golden State.
According to multiple reports by ESPN and The Athletic, Kuminga and his agent Aaron Turner have demanded the Warriors (22-19) trade him.
Because summertime contract negotiations with the then-free agent extended to Sept. 30, the Warriors were restricted from trading Kuminga until Jan. 15.
The Nets, Kings, Warriors and Lakers have all been linked to him.
Though this request makes Kuminga’s desire to leave the Bay Area official, it has been clear for months that the former 2021 draft pick is no longer part of the team’s future plans.
Though Kuminga, 23, showed flashes of becoming the franchise building block the team envisioned him as, that potential never materialized into consistent success after being part of the team that won the 2022 title as a rookie.
His playing time and role fluctuated throughout the years, culminating in a lengthy and contentious negotiation as a restricted free agent this summer. Several teams were reported to be interested in him, but none signed him to an offer sheet.
In the end, Kuminga received a two-year $46 million deal and a starting spot with the Warriors.
But after 12 games, Kuminga was moved back to the bench, and a mixture of injuries and ineffective play kept him there.
He has not played in the last 13 games, being a healthy scratch for 12 of those, and has only played one of the previous 17.
In press conferences and at impromptu locker room Q&A’s, Kuminga and coach Steve Kerr have said all of the right things publicly.
But even Kerr, who as of last week still said Kuminga’s return to the lineup was a possibility, has admitted that Kuminga’s departure is likely.
““I can imagine it’s not easy for him, and we’ve talked about the situation,” Kerr said several weeks ago. “My desire for JK is for him to become the best player he can possibly be, regardless of where he ends up, whether it’s here or elsewhere.”
When he ends “elsewhere” is yet to be determined. Though Jan. 15 is the first day Kuminga can be traded, the team has until the Feb. 5 trade deadline to move him.