Jonathan Kuminga, in his almost five years with the Warriors, has not managed to fit into the Steve Kerr system and, ahead of next month’s trade deadline, has asked for a move away from Golden State. He is a young and exciting player with a high ceiling. However, it appears Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy does not see it that way, which surprised many, including journalist Chris Haynes.
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Addressing Kuminga’s trade demands at a press conference, Dunleavy bluntly claimed that there had to be “demand” for Kuminga in the first place. “When you make a demand, there needs to be a demand,” the former player said.
That comment raised more questions than answers, especially since it is blatantly untrue. NBA insider Haynes called out Dunleavy’s hypocrisy on the latest edition of NBA TV, reminding fans that Kuminga had drawn interest dating back to the offseason. He added that the only reason Dunleavy would make such a statement is because the Warriors did not like what they could get in return.
“There’s one team that has been interested in him for a while. The Sacramento Kings, since the offseason. When a team says there’s not a market, they are basically saying they don’t like what’s out there. They don’t like what they would get back in return but there are teams that are interested in Kuminga,” said Haynes with confidence.
Chris Haynes says there are teams interested in Kuminga:
“There’s one team that has been interested in him for a while. The Kings. When a team says there isn’t a market they are basically saying they don’t like whats out there. They don’t like what they would get back in return… pic.twitter.com/NZMRmjPbCN
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) January 22, 2026
Kuminga’s brief return to the rotation only made the situation feel more ironic. With Jimmy Butler tearing his ACL and suddenly unavailable, the Warriors and Kerr were forced to dig a little deeper. That meant finally giving Kuminga some real run again. In the 145-127 loss to the Raptors, he looked like a player who had been waiting for that moment, pouring in 20 points and bringing some much-needed juice to a lineup that desperately needed it.
That is kind of the point with Kuminga. He has never been a perfect fit in Golden State’s read-and-react system, but when things bog down, he is one of the few players on the roster who can simply go get a bucket. The Warriors do not have many players who can put pressure on the rim without a screen or a perfectly drawn-up action, and pretending that skill is not valuable in 2026 NBA basketball feels outdated.
There is also a bigger-picture question hanging over all of this. If the Dubs are not fully committed to developing Kuminga, what is the actual plan? He is too talented to be a situational player and too young to be treated like a short-term patch. Either he is part of the future, or he is an asset to flip before his value gets muddled by inconsistent minutes and mixed messaging. Sitting on the fence has not helped anyone so far, especially Steph Curry, whose incredible play should not be wasted.
And that is why nights like the Raptors game resonate, even in a big loss. Kuminga did not suddenly solve the Warriors’ problems, but he reminded everyone why teams around the league still believe in players like him. Opportunities have been scarce, yet when one finally showed up, he took advantage. If nothing else, it reinforced the idea that the Warriors might be underestimating what they actually have.
