GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. is at the same crossroads, trying to find a solution to Jonathan Kuminga’s situation. The Congolese forward handed in a trade request on Jan 15, the first day he was available. Now, with Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL injury, many expected a swift and immediate response. But the Warriors executive is playing a waiting game, jabbing at JK’s demands.

Not playing since Dec 18, despite being fit for most games, is a clear sign that coach Steve Kerr is not trusting the 23-year-old. So, it was obvious that Jonathan Kuminga made his trade demand clear. Since then, there have only been rumors, and nothing concrete. There is a reason why the trade away from the Bay Area hasn’t materialized.

“Yeah, I mean, I think as far as the demand, I’m aware of that.” General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., before Tuesday’s game against the Raptors, explained the grim situation at hand. “I think when you, you know, in terms of demand, there needs to be demand on the market. So, we’ll see where that unfolds. So we’re good with, you know, that’s his wishes, trying to figure that out. But we gotta do what’s best for our organization, and that’s what we’ll do.

As far as it goes with the deadline coming up, you know, I think we’ll take the next couple of weeks to assess this team a little bit more. I felt pretty good with where we’re at heading into last night’s game in terms of what we need to do. I thought our team was playing really well, heading in the right direction.”

The implication here is that there is practically no trade market for Kuminga, and Dunleavy doesn’t want to give him away for nothing. That’s why the waiting game, and maybe that’s why the change of tune from coach Steve Kerr.

After Jimmy Butler’s ACL injury, Steve Kerr was asked whether Kuminga would be in the rotation moving forward. His answer was rather positive. “He could be, he could be, yeah,” Steve Kerr said before the Warriors hosted the Raptors on Tuesday night. “You know, he obviously hasn’t played in a while. But at this point, we have to experiment a little bit with rotations, see where we are. And he’s definitely a part of that talk, that conversation.”

But we have been at this juncture before. Jonathan Kuminga gets the minutes and support, but not for long. He was named a starter by head coach Steve Kerr before their third game of the season, which marked a turning point for both sides. But after the first 12 games, things have gone downhill for both sides.

He’s been a healthy DNP since, which has continued to signal the end of his time with the Warriors. That’s why the trade rumors surrounding JK have always gained steam.

Former Warrior Gilbert Arenas advised Jonathan Kuminga to reject the Golden State Warriors’ renewed interest following Jimmy Butler’s injury. He emphasized that Kuminga now holds significant leverage due to the team’s desperation after benching him despite his trade.

Arenas stated on his platform: “‘Kuminga, Golden State’s about to call you. They’re gonna want to play you. When you pick that phone up … Don’t fall for it. They showed you they true colors … Don’t shoot another motherf—– basket for them.'” This came after Warriors coach Steve Kerr indicated plans to increase Kuminga’s role post-Butler’s ACL tear.

In a related Gil’s Arena discussion, Arenas reinforced that Kuminga should demand 48 non-negotiable minutes per game or refuse to play, reversing the prior benching. Arenas views Butler’s injury as a “nightmare” for Golden State, boosting Kuminga’s trade value with the February 5 deadline nearing.

Low-value trade options emerge as Jonathan Kuminga’s replacement

When JK received minutes during the first month of the season, he showed significant improvement. He shot 45% from three across six games while posting 17.5 points per game, both of which were his career high scores. So, there could be merit to Mike Dunealvy Jr.’s wait-and-see approach.

However, there are trade options the Warriors can cash in on.

ESPN’s Shams Charania said Tuesday that the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks have interest in Kuminga. He even suggested that DeMar DeRozan could be a player the Warriors target in a Kuminga trade. Another veteran that Golden State is targeting is the return of Klay Thompson.

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Both are under contract through the 2026-27 season, but have been reliable scorers. DeRozan is averaging 19.0 points per game, and Thompson is averaging just 12.0 points, but he’s on fire right now, having made 50 percent of his last 64 three-point attempts.

Plus, his connection with the team can’t be discounted. So, the saga of Jonathan Kuminga will be stretched out again until the deadline day.