The Jonathan Kuminga saga seems to take a new turn every week. From the young Golden State Warriors star being dropped from Steve Kerr’s rotation to demanding a trade, and then being thrust back into the lineup after Jimmy Butler’s ACL injury, the troubled relationship between the team and their dissatisfied star has been the Warriors’ biggest headline.

Now, as the trade deadline is approaching, the story around Kuminga’s future with Golden State is still developing, with ESPN’s Anthony Slater providing key updates on the situation. Recently, he mentioned that with just two Warriors games remaining before the trade deadline, Kuminga has been looking to get something out of the deadline.

“Jonathan Kuminga is trying to rehab a minor bone bruise,” Slater told Hannah Storm in a segment of ESPN’s NBA Today. “He’s kind of been looking forward to this trade deadline for various reasons for a while.”

Slater had previously reported that following Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury, the Warriors were unlikely to trade Kuminga. In the immediate aftermath of Butler tearing his ACL against the Miami Heat, Steve Kerr also expressed optimism that Kuminga would see regular minutes in the rotation. Not long after, though, Slater reported that Kuminga was seeking a way out of Golden State.

However, this time, Slater’s report quickly met with pushback from Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner.

“@anthonyVslater you have proven your point! You have a nice backyard, can we get a new background?” Turner took a shot at the ESPN Insider on X.

This was not the first time that Turner had given a cold take on a conversation about Kuminga’s trade news.

Right after Butler’s injury, he fired back at Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr., who took a jab at Kuminga. He was asked about Kuminga’s reported trade demand last week and offered a blunt response. “As far as demand, I’m aware of that,” he said. “In terms of demands, there needs to be demand.”

The remarks quickly raised eyebrows across social media, including from Turner, who weighed in with his own response. “Demand is sensitive to price or playing time, so if a seller sees demand is low, lower the price point or let him play and demand will go [up],” Turner wrote on X, alongside a screenshot of a Google search explaining the relationship between demand and price.

Even a few weeks earlier, when the Golden State Warriors were blown out by the Atlanta Hawks, Kuminga’s agent posted a highlight video on X of Kuminga scoring 25 points in a January 2024 win against Atlanta. The post appeared to underline Golden State’s lack of a reliable third scorer, which was especially evident in that loss.

So it was not unusual to see the agent once again speaking up for his client.

That said, with just days left before the trade deadline, there is still no clarity over the Warriors’ stance on Kuminga.

With trade deadline coming to an end, should Warriors move Jonathan Kuminga?

While Kuminga is being linked to multiple trades, the Warriors still haven’t made up their mind about Kuminga. What started as a fresh start in a new season, the young star slowly fell out of Kerr’s favor. They decided not to trade him even when he demanded a trade earlier this month; there weren’t many takers.

The Warriors must take the blame for Kuminga’s depleted market. They played a $24 million player like a league minimum salary player. They have practically wasted money in Kuminga by not playing him. However, to say that their window to move him has closed would not be entirely true.

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The 23-year-old-old has a lot of talent on both ends. At 6 ft 7 in, he provides height and athleticism, and great rebounding opportunities.

Perhaps it would sound like an overshot, but Kuminga’s offense also has a very high ceiling. In the Warriors’ last playoff series, in the absence of Stephen Curry, Kuminga led the team in scoring in four games. Given that teams like the Sacramento Kings have shown interest in him, the Warriors could explore opportunities.

However, if they decide to keep him through next season, Kerr has to give him enough opportunities to help him boost his trade value. They could eventually deal him in the summer with far better pieces.

But if they try to move him before this deadline, unlike JK, they won’t be the benefiting party.