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SAN FRANCISCO – Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga became trade eligible Thursday, and to state the obvious, he wants a new NBA team to call home.
The fifth-year pro has demanded a trade, league sources confirmed Thursday to NBC Sports Bay Area. Kuminga was in attendance for a rare home shootaround at Chase Center before the Warriors play the New York Knicks. Once reporters were allowed in, a smiling Kuminga sprinted off the court without comment.
About six hours later, Warriors coach Steve Kerr, during his pregame press conference, was asked about the latest chapter in the Kuminga era that could end in the next three weeks by the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Kerr first reiterated his statement that he and Kuminga are on cordial terms.
“Our relationship is fine,” he said.
Aside from that, Kerr didn’t dive much deeper into the specifics of Kuminga’s hope for a fresh start.
“There’s not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff,” Kerr continued. “It is what it is. Difficult situation for everybody. Part of this league, part of this job. We just keep moving forward. But it’s a tough situation and I don’t really have much to add.”
Since being a healthy DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision) on Dec. 7 in a blowout win against the Chicago Bulls, Kuminga has played in only one of the Warriors’ last 17 games. He played nine and half minutes in a one-point loss to the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 18. Kuminga hasn’t taken his black warmup shirt off and gotten off the bench to enter a game at all in the 13 games since.
In 12 of the Warriors’ 13 games during that span, Kuminga has continued to be a healthy DNP-CP. Kerr said on 95.7 The Game the morning of the Warriors’ eventual 37-point blowout loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Jan. 2 that Kuminga was in his plans to play. But Kuminga was a late addition to the Warriors’ injury report with lower back soreness and did not dress in a game Golden State also was without Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
While the outside noise continues to become louder, Kerr says none of this is a hindrance to who Warriors are and won’t cause problems.
“It won’t be a distraction,” Kerr said. “Jonathan’s a great young guy. His teammates like him. He’s handling himself well. There won’t be a distraction.”
Kuminga signed a two-year, $48.5 million contract with a team option on the second season two days into training camp. The start of the season was seamless with Kuminga scoring 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, having nine rebounds and six assists in an opening-night win against the Los Angeles Lakers. Kuminga started the first 12 games of the season, averaging 14.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.l assists per game.
The Warriors went 6-6 in those first 12 games. They’ve gone 16-13 after moving Kuminga out of the starting lineup two months ago. Kuminga has played in just six of those games, starting once, and averaging 16.5 minutes, 5.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists.