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After months of offseason drama, Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors appear to be headed for a split. The 23-year-old forward reportedly requested a trade Thursday, the first day he was eligible to be dealt after signing an extension with the Warriors in the offseason, according to ESPN.
The report comes as no surprise, considering Kuminga has not played in the last 13 games with the team. After starting for the Warriors early in the season, Kuminga found himself relegated to backup duty. Shortly after that, he stopped playing altogether.
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After coming off the bench during a Nov. 12 game against the San Antonio Spurs, Kuminga sat out or did not dress for seven straight games due to a knee injury that was initially not thought to be serious.
He returned to play in four more games, getting a start against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 6, but then missed three games due to an ankle issue. He returned to action Dec. 12, playing just over nine minutes off the bench in a loss to the Phoenix Suns. Kuminga hasn’t taken the court for the Warriors since that game.
The trade request comes months after Kuminga signed a two-year, $46.8 million extension with the Warriors in the offseason. That extension came after a lengthy contract dispute between the team and Kuminga, who fell out of the team’s playoff rotation last season.
Because of that extension, Kuminga could not be traded until Jan. 15. It appears he wasted no time in letting the Warriors know that was his desired outcome.
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With Kuminga’s request in, the Warriors have until Feb. 5 — the NBA trade deadline — to get a deal done.
In 18 games and 13 starts this season, Kuminga is averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. His scoring is down compared to the last two seasons, when Kuminga averaged 15.8 points per game in roughly the same amount of playing time.