The clock seems to be ticking for Jonathan Kuminga. The 23-year-old, who went back and forth with the Golden State Warriors for a new deal in what felt like an eternity over the summer, becomes trade-eligible just a few days from now on the 15th of January. And with him being firmly out of head coach Steve Kerr’s plans, all signs point to his inevitable exit from San Francisco. But how did it come to this?

Kerr addressed the media recently, explaining the biggest issue that led him to push Kuminga out of the rotation this season.

“I’m disappointed for him that things didn’t continue to go the way they did the first couple of weeks,” Kerr said. “At the same time, it was going to be tricky to start JK, Jimmy, Draymond, at the 2,3, and 4. I think anybody can see that’s a tough combination based on shooting.”

At its core, Kuminga’s situation highlights the fundamental tension the Warriors have faced for years: balancing the development of a raw, athletic young player against the urgent need to compete for championships with an aging veteran core.

Kerr’s priority remains maximizing the remaining title window around Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and now Jimmy Butler (acquired mid-2025 to bolster the push), which demands prioritizing proven chemistry, elite spacing, and quick decision-making over the trial-and-error minutes a high-upside prospect like Kuminga requires to refine his game.

This isn’t the first time Steve Kerr has emphasized just how difficult it is to play all three of them together. The championship-winning head coach has previously pointed out the difficulties starting this trio creates in terms of spacing. In the 163 minutes Kuminga, Butler, and Green have shared on the court, the Dubs have posted a mediocre 114.8 offensive and 106.3 defensive rating.

“The weaknesses of that lineup were exposed, and that’s why we went in a different direction,” Kerr further explained.

This approach echoes a familiar pattern for the Warriors. A comparable case is former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, whose development was similarly hampered. Wiseman’s raw athleticism and size offered tantalizing potential, but injuries, poor fit in Kerr’s spacing-dependent system, and limited minutes on a contending roster stunted his growth.

He saw inconsistent opportunities before being traded in 2023, underscoring how win-now environments often sideline young bigs or forwards for veteran reliability—leaving high-upside talents like Wiseman and now Kuminga in limbo.

Seemingly, the Warriors are better off without Kuminga in the rotation, meaning little chance Kerr gives JK another extended look this season. Both parties also worry about an injury complicating trade talks. Yet prolonged DNPs carry their own drawbacks, increasingly evident as the trade window opens.

Jonathan Kuminga’s trade value continues to dip

Although Steve Kerr is trying to do what’s best for the Golden State Warriors, it might not be the best for Jonathan Kuminga. That’s because this season, the 23-year-old’s stat line has plummeted. So far, he’s just averaged 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 32.0 percent from the three-point line.

This is significantly lower than his career averages of 50.2 percent shooting from the field and 33.1 percent from the three-point line.

As expected, this has affected Kuminga’s trade stock, as according to an NBA insider, not many teams are willing to buy the young forward, let alone offer something the Warriors will be willing to make the trade for.

“Of the other 29 teams in the NBA, only the Sacramento Kings have shown interest in acquiring Kuminga, according to league sources,” Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area wrote. “… The other 28 teams have shown no more than tepid interest, sources say, leaving the market for Kuminga even cooler now than it was last July, when he was a restricted free agent hoping for an offer sheet that never came.”

It seems like there’s nothing the Warriors can do if Poole’s report is accurate, apart from either of two things. One would then sell Jonathan Kuminga as humbly accepting whatever returns they can fetch for the former lottery pick.

The other option would be wait and hope that a great offer comes along the way, which, by the way, seems highly unlikely.

So, landing in Sac-Town seems to be the best possible route for Jonathan Kuminga. However, not just because they are the only team willing to offer him a deal, but the young forward will also get a fresh start, something he’s in dire need of at the moment.

Nonetheless, these are mere speculations for now as we keep a close eye on any further developments regarding this situation.