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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 27: Jonathan Kuminga #1 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after making a dunk on the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half at Chase Center on October 27, 2025 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and\/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Jonathan Kuminga<\/a> is back in the Golden State Warriors<\/a>\u2019 rotation \u2014 but his desire to leave the franchise remains unchanged.<\/p>\n According to NBA<\/a> insider Chris Haynes, the 23-year-old forward remains committed to being traded ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline, even as Golden State has reintegrated him into the lineup following Jimmy Butler<\/a>\u2019s season-ending ACL injury.<\/p>\n \u201cSources have told me that Kuminga has no desire to remain with the Golden State Warriors,\u201d Haynes said<\/a> Thursday on NBA on Prime. \u201cHe is very much hoping that he will be dealt by the deadline.\u201d<\/p>\n The development underscores the fragile nature of Kuminga\u2019s return to the court, been driven by necessity rather than reconciliation.<\/p>\n Kuminga-Kerr Relationship \u2018Fractured Beyond Repair\u2019<\/p>\n Haynes painted a stark picture of the underlying tension between Kuminga and the organization, particularly with head coach Steve Kerr.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m told that his relationship with head coach Steve Kerr is fractured beyond repair,\u201d Haynes said. \u201cHe\u2019s felt that he hasn\u2019t had any organizational support throughout this process. So, he\u2019s felt devalued within the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n Kuminga had not played since Dec. 18 before rejoining the rotation this week, a prolonged absence that included a stretch of coach\u2019s decisions (CD-DNPs) that fueled leaguewide speculation about his future.<\/p>\n While Golden State planned to gradually increase Kuminga\u2019s workload after Butler went down, the return has not altered his stance about continuing his career elsewhere.<\/p>\n Warriors Open to Waiting Until Summer<\/p>\n Despite Kuminga\u2019s firm position, rival teams believe Golden State may ultimately choose patience.<\/p>\n Haynes reported that several teams around the league expect the Warriors to hold onto Kuminga through the deadline and revisit a trade in the offseason, particularly if acceptable value does not materialize in the coming days.<\/p>\n That posture aligns with recent comments from Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy<\/a> Jr., who acknowledged Kuminga\u2019s trade request but emphasized market realities.<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as the demand, I\u2019m aware of that,\u201d Dunleavy said<\/a>\u00a0during a news conference. \u201cIn terms of demands, when there\u2019s a demand, there needs to be a demand on the market. So we\u2019ll see how that unfolds.\u201d<\/p>\n Dunleavy reiterated that the organization\u2019s responsibility is to act in its own best interest, even when a player seeks a change of scenery.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m disappointed it hasn\u2019t worked out better,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it is what it is. I know a trade has been requested. But nothing is imminent. Things in this league can change in a heartbeat, as they did last night. So he\u2019s gotta be ready.\u201d<\/p>\n Agent Pushes Back on Market Narrative<\/p>\n Kuminga\u2019s agent, Aaron Turner, publicly challenged the suggestion that demand for his client is lacking, framing the issue as one of opportunity and valuation rather than talent.<\/p>\n \u201cDemand is sensitive to price or playing time,\u201d Turner wrote<\/a> on X. \u201cSo if a seller sees demand is low, lower the price point or let him play and demand will go.\u201d<\/p>\n The message reflected frustration with how Kuminga\u2019s role \u2014 or lack thereof \u2014 may have suppressed his perceived market value.<\/p>\n Kings Remain Interested, But Price Gap Remains<\/p>\n According to Haynes, the Sacramento Kings<\/a> remain among the teams with interest in Kuminga. However, Golden State has not received the return it initially hoped for.<\/p>\n At one point, Sacramento had discussed a framework involving Malik Monk<\/a> and a protected first-round pick in a future draft. Multiple reports<\/a> have since indicated that the pick component is no longer on the table following Kuminga\u2019s extended absence from the rotation before Butler\u2019s injury.<\/p>\n That shift has contributed to the current stalemate as the Warriors continue to tell teams they do not want long-term contracts in return for Kuminga.<\/p>\n Injury Interrupts Promising Return<\/p>\n Kuminga\u2019s second game back in the rotation showed why the Warriors still value him \u2014 and why the trade calculus remains complicated.<\/p>\n He scored 10 points in just nine minutes on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line before landing awkwardly while driving to the basket at the 4:29 mark of the second quarter.<\/p>\n He did not return after suffering what was initially described as a non-serious injury to his knee and ankle.<\/p>\n \u201cI just talked to him,\u201d Kerr said<\/a> after Golden State\u2019s 123\u2013115 loss, their second straight since Butler\u2019s injury. \u201cHe said he\u2019s going to get an MRI (Friday). It was both the knee and the ankle. We\u2019ll see how bad it is. It\u2019s such a shame. He was playing great, and that definitely hurt as well \u2014 not having him available for the second half.\u201d<\/p>\n Warriors\u2019 Initial Tests Point to Minor Issue<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s Anthony Slater later reported that Kuminga\u2019s injury is not believed to be serious, citing a league source after initial testing.<\/p>\n \u201cKuminga, who limped out of the locker room postgame, told ESPN the knee was bothering him more and that he would wait to see how it felt Friday morning before deciding whether to get an MRI,\u201d Slater wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kuminga\u2019s health appears unlikely to derail trade talks \u2014 but his situation remains one of the Warriors\u2019 most delicate balancing acts as the deadline approaches.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Warriors\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 27: Jonathan Kuminga #1 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after making…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":254023,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[85,46,105],"class_list":{"0":"post-254022","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-il","9":"tag-israel","10":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/254023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}