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The Golden State Warriors’ efforts to explore trade options for forward Jonathan Kuminga have run into a familiar obstacle: the continued unavailability of one of their most coveted targets.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the New Orleans Pelicans remain unwilling to engage in discussions involving either of their prized wings.
“The Pelicans are still resistant to trade interest in both Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III,” Stein wrote this week in The Stein Line.
That resistance complicates what ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has previously described as Golden State’s ideal outcome — a clean swap of Kuminga for a young, two-way wing on a cost-controlled contract without attaching a first-round pick.
Why Trey Murphy III Fits the Warriors’ Ideal Trade Profile
GettyDraymond Green of the Golden State Warriors steals the ball from Trey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans.
During a Q&A session on Instagram Threads in December, Windhorst laid out the Warriors’ internal vision for a Kuminga deal.
“Two-way wing in his 20s under control on a contract without having to add a 1st-rounder to deal,” Windhorst wrote, calling that the best-case scenario for Golden State’s front office.
Murphy, 25, fits that profile almost perfectly.
The Pelicans wing is under contract on a four-year, $112 million deal, provides elite shooting at volume, and has developed into a versatile defender capable of guarding multiple positions. Murphy just became the Pelicans’ franchise leader in 3-pointers made after knocking down his fourth of seven threes made in a 125-106 loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday.
His combination of age, skill set, and contractual certainty makes him one of the league’s most desirable archetypes.
NBA insider Chris Haynes previously reported that Golden State has made inquiries about Murphy, confirming Jake Fischer’s report that the Warriors’ interest dates back at least to last summer.
“Sources say that the Warriors have a strong affinity for Murphy and have made outreach to New Orleans as recently as this summer,” Fischer reported in August. “Yet sources say that the Pelicans, to be clear, have batted away calls for the 25-year-old, valuing him highly.”
Why the Warriors’ Kuminga Trade Talks Are Stalled
While Golden State’s interest in Murphy is clear, the central question remains whether New Orleans sees enough value in Kuminga to even open the door.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Pelicans are expected to be “front and center” in any Kuminga discussions, but the internal evaluations are far from uniform.
“For quite some time now, the Warriors have been open about their desire to acquire the Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III,” Amick wrote in December. “But if they’re going to use Kuminga to do that, then it would be helpful to know how, if at all, the Pelicans value the Warriors’ 23-year-old forward. For the time being, the feedback is mixed.”
That mixed feedback is significant.
While some in the Pelicans’ orbit remain intrigued by Kuminga’s athletic ceiling, others have questioned his consistency, fit within New Orleans’ system, and long-term development curve — concerns that make it difficult to justify moving a proven, productive player like Murphy.
Kuminga’s Diminished Role Adds to Uncertainty
Kuminga’s on-court situation in Golden State has only added to the ambiguity.
The 23-year-old has appeared in just one of the Warriors’ last 11 games, most of them logged as coach’s decisions, and a back injury kept him out of Saturday’s 123-114 win over the Utah Jazz.
That absence has raised questions about whether his uncertain role and trade rumors are weighing on him.
Warriors star Jimmy Butler dismissed that notion.
“Nope. Not at all,” Butler said. “I told JK, you come in here and be the pro of pros. Come here and get your work done. You smile. You have a good time because he’s still an NBA player, one of the best people in the world — and I’m not even talking about basketball.”
Why This Standoff Is Unlikely to Break Soon
From the Golden State’s perspective, Murphy represents the type of long-term, system-friendly wing they lack. From New Orleans’ perspective, Murphy is exactly the kind of player contenders should not trade.
That creates a stalemate.
Unless circumstances change, the Warriors’ Kuminga trade talks may remain unresolved well beyond the deadline.
Between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline, Golden State may be forced to either lower its sights, expand the asset package, or wait.
And in a league where leverage is everything, waiting is often the hardest part.