NBA Rumors: Warriors Won’t Trade Young Star

Warriors Trade Seemed Inevitable

Kuminga’s Warriors career has endured its fair share of ups and downs. Just a few weeks ago, the Kuminga era in San Francisco seemed at its tail end.

On January 4th, the Warriors hosted the Denver Nuggets. In that game, Kuminga had 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists in only 19 minutes of play. Despite this, head coach Steve Kerr opted to not play Kuminga for the final 18 minutes. The Warriors proceeded to squander an 18-point lead with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Nikola Jokić hit an improbable shot at the buzzer to win the game.

Following the game, The Athletic reported that Kuminga was disgruntled. “After sitting for the final 18 minutes of Thursday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has lost faith in coach Steve Kerr, and the 2021 lottery pick no longer believes Kerr will allow him to reach his full potential, sources close to Kuminga tell The Athletic.” 

Kuminga Resurgence

Since that loss to Denver, Kuminga has averaged 28.8 minutes per game. In his last five games, the 21-year-old is averaging 25.6 points and 6.2 rebounds on ridiculous 68.7% shooting from the floor.

Only in his third season, Kuminga has cemented himself as a key contributor of the present, and a star of the future.

Kuminga himself recently stated that he’s not worried about trade rumors, in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.

“I don’t really pay attention to the trade stuff because at the end of the day, whatever happens is God’s plan for sure. I stay focused, I don’t really try to listen to the noises outside, or the trade. I tell my agent if anything comes up, you don’t need to tell me. If my name is in any trade, don’t tell me anything because I just want to focus…I’m still on the team, and all I’m focusing [on] is being on that team, and helping us win and get better every day.”

Warriors Trade Plans

The Warriors, however, find themselves 12th in the Western Conference, with a record of 19-23. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area, revealing what the future holds.

“The assessment of the team and the roster has been challenging…We’ve got great depth, which we went into the season with. We’ve had some injuries and some suspensions. We’ve been able to mitigate that some with our depth, but it hasn’t always translated to wins. So, I’m sitting here two weeks out from the trade deadline just honestly continuing to evaluate this team…But a lot of times, it’s hard at the trade deadline to bring in a player or players that are just going to dramatically improve your defense. Look, if that player is available, we’ll look to pursue it.”

With Kuminga off the trade block, it’s difficult to foresee a trade that vaults Golden State into contender status.

Silver Linings

It’s been anything but a pleasant season for the Warriors. The tragic death of assistant coach Dejan Milojević, the suspension of Draymond Green, and Chris Paul‘s injury are all factors that have contributed to their poor record through 42 games. If there’s one thing Golden State has learned, it’s that Jonathan Kuminga is here to stay.