Reports: Jonathan Kuminga demands trade away from Warriors

Joseph Dycus, Bay Area News Group on Jan 15, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SAN FRANCISCO — Jonathan Kuminga wants out of Golden State.

Kuminga and his agent, Aaron Turner, have demanded the Warriors trade him, according to reports by ESPN and The Athletic.

Because summertime contract negotiations with the then-free agent extended to Sept. 30, the Warriors were restricted from trading Kuminga until Jan. 15. Kuminga’s demand was made public early Thursday morning.

The Nets, Kings, Warriors and Lakers have all been linked to him.

His Warriors teammates hold no ill will toward Kuminga as he seeks an exit from the only team he has ever played for, if Moses Moody is to be believed.

“I don’t necessarily have a reaction to it,” said Moody after the Warriors shootaround on Thursday morning. “Everybody has their own journey here … everyone has different decisions and ways of shaping that.”

Kuminga participated in shootaround, but he was among the first to leave, running off the Chase Center court past reporters a few seconds after media were allowed in. Several other Warriors players exited shortly after him, as well, in what was otherwise a normal shootaround.

Coach Steve Kerr, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and team doctor Rick Celebrini chatted on one side, and team personnel and coaches helped the players go through some light shooting drills.

Draymond Green and Steph Curry were the last players to leave the court, walking back to the locker room only a few minutes before the Knicks made their way onto the floor for that team’s shootaround.

Kuminga’s trade request makes his desire to leave the Bay Area official, but 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 even as the team struggled to string together wins.

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 sessions, 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. While Thursday is the first day Kuminga can be traded, the team has until the Feb. 5 trade deadline to move him.