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Report: Warriors Could Move Disgruntled Player Before NBA Trade Deadline

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Golden State Warriors are aware that star point guard Stephen Curry will be walking away from the game in the near future.

They have been attempting to juggle a two-timeline approach to their roster for years, but it hasn’t quite turned out the way they had hoped.

The Warriors had a slew of young players who they wanted to lead the team after Curry’s departure, and the core of this group was forward Johnathan Kuminga, the No. 7 overall pick in 2021.

The lengthy wing player has shown small flashes in his career, but his development has been significantly hindered by a lack of playing time.

Kuminga and Golden State were at odds all summer in a contract dispute, with the former either wanting a trade from the team entirely or control over his own future.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr talks to forward Jonathan Kuminga.Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The two sides finally came to an agreement last week on a two-year, $46.8 million contract, but a new report suggests that the Warriors will begin trade negotiations as soon as they can.

NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote, “The mounting expectation, as a result, is that the Warriors will make Kuminga available on the trade market once he becomes eligible to be dealt on Jan. 15.”

Golden State is always looking to contend for championships, so it makes sense that they can’t fully commit to developing a young player.

But Kuminga is a former lottery pick and has never played more than 26 minutes per game in a season, obviously atypical for someone of his stature.

Now, his role in the rotation figures to be even more complicated with star forward Jimmy Butler in the fold, a trade deadline acquisition made by the Warriors earlier this year.

Kuminga reportedly had several potential trade suitors in the offseason, with the main one being the Sacramento Kings, so he knows he has options on the trade market.

If his role on the team remains as inconsistent as it’s been in the past, then it feels like a trade is exactly where he and the Warriors are headed.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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