The offseason saga of Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors is expected to flare up again, and the Sacramento Kings are likely to be involved. The fireworks won't begin until January 15, 2026, though, as Kuminga's contract has different trade eligibility than others signed over the summer.
Jonathan Kuminga's time with the Warriors is coming to an end, and he is expected to generate a fair amount of interest around the league upon becoming trade eligible on Jan. 15.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) December 10, 2025
Latest words on Kuminga, as well as a 3-team trade scenario involving the Dubs forward: https://t.co/Fw8jyRno7F
Over the course of the offseason, the Warriors and Kuminga hit a bit of a rough patch when it came to his contract extension. Kuminga is widely regarded as having the potential to be a superstar in the future, yet head coach Steve Kerr seems to have little interest in working with him.
The situation is quite reminiscent of what's happing on the Kings with head coach Doug Christie and Keon Ellis. Honestly, there doesn't seem to be any real reasons for either situation, other than the coaches just don't seem to like their respective players and want them off the team.
Ultimately, the Warriors re-signed Kuminga to a two-year contract. While some thought this was the end of the situation, there were others who saw it as a delaying tactic to buy more time and sort out the best possible trade. The deadline for extension was bearing down on the Warriors, after all.
A delayed trade for the Sacramento Kings
Throughout all of this, the Kings have been in the background. They were reputedly Kuminga's favored trade destination, though that might just have been a rumor to get under the skin of the Warriors' front office. Regardless, the Kings likely remain interested in the forward.
The only issue is that Sacramento will just have to wait a bit longer. For many, if not most, contracts signed in the offseason, the start date to be traded is December 15. In the case of players like Kuminga who signed as free agents, that date is January 15, giving him an extra month.
This is not a date the Warriors can budge on, either. Because Kuminga's deal is more money than his last one and Golden State already has salary cap issues, they're stuck with him until at least January 15. It's a whole thing, considering neither Kuminga nor the Warriors seem happy right now.
Regardless of when Kuminga is trade eligible, there are several teams expected to be interested in him. That includes the Kings, who have made it clear they are ready to part with several players in potential trades. It could lead to a few names moving between the California rivals.