The Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga are headed towards an inevitable split, and head coach Steve Kerr knows it.
While addressing the Kuminga trade rumors on Wednesday, Kerr sounded like a man who’s ready to see the fifth-year Congolese forward don another jersey.
“I can imagine that it’s not easy for him [to be in trade rumors],” Kerr said of Kuminga, via ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “We’ve talked about the situation. My desire is for JK to be the best player he can possibly be, regardless of where he ends up, here or elsewhere.”
Kuminga Trade Rumors
Kuminga received his first healthy DNP of the season during Sunday’s away game against the Chicago Bulls. Many analysts believe the Warriors’ erratic handling of Kuminga, who began the season as a starter, does not bode well for his trade value.
Kerr was asked point-blank if he had to be careful about not tanking Kuminga’s trade value, which could only hurt Golden State’s chances of making roster upgrades.
“I remember years ago, Bob Myers [former Warriors GM] told me, ‘I’m guessing it’s easier to coach than be a GM.’ And as someone who has been a GM before [with the PhoenixSuns], I agreed and asked him why.
“He said, ‘As a coach, all you can do is coach the guys who are there that day. As a GM, you have unlimited possibilities on what you can do to construct a team.’ And it’s true. Mike [Dunleavy Jr.] sits in his office and has to think of a million different things. I just coach the guys who are here and try to support them.”
Kerr added that he and Mike Dunleavy Jr., the GM of the Warriors, are “totally aligned” and speak regularly on the future of Kuminga and others on the roster.
The D-Day: Jan. 15
Despite being benched, Kuminga has been a full participant in practice, Kerr revealed.
“He had a great practice today. We had a talk before practice. He did the things I asked him to do,” Kerr said of Kuminga.
“I do feel for him that he has been sort of at the whim of my decision making based on what I want to see from our team.”
Kuminga, who signed a two-year, $46.8M contract with the Warriors last offseason, can’t be traded before the Jan. 15 restriction.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Warriors could begin exploratory Kuminga trade talks with other teams even before they’re legally allowed to move him. The Warriors are hoping to use Kuminga as a piece for a bigger trade invovling a star-level player.
The Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Pelicans are expected to join the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns — the two teams who pursued Kuminga last offseason — as suitors for the 23-year-old athletic forward.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Kuminga is viewed as “one of the best trade chips in the league” due to the Team Option on the second year of his deal. Essentially, the team that trades for him after Jan. 15 can give him a four-month test run and reassess his fit during the 2026 offseason.
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