In a twist, Jonathan Kuminga’s injury may not be enough for the Golden State Warriors to consider trading him. The 23-year-old power forward suffered minor injuries to his left ankle and knee on Thursday, January 22, that took him out of the match against the Dallas Mavericks. This comes amid rumors that Kuminga has been frustrated with his team’s organization and had asked to be traded to another team before the upcoming February 5 deadline. Given his new injury, many suspected that the chances that this would happen would have increased. However, a top NBA expert still thinks that this is unlikely.
Expert would be “surprised” if Kuminga gets traded despite injury
Sam Amick, senior writer for The Athletic, says that he “would be surprised if [Kuminga] moves anytime soon” despite his injury, during a segment on the Run It Back show.
“[The Golden State Warriors] are so desperate to do something big,” he explained, “and Jonathan would still be important if they were able to something big, not necessarily before the deadline, but even down the road, that it does make me wonder if this thing ends up extending.”
Amick noted the athleticism that power forward showed in the game before his exit, where he scored 10 points in nine minutes and helped the Warriors make a comeback in the first half.
“The goal is to get Number 30 back into contention,” Amick said about the need to have Kuminga on the team to make it easier for Stephen Curry to score. “Like that’s what you’re trying to do and that gap is so big that I could see them being even more patient now.”
However, Amick admits that Kuminga still has lingering issues with him remaining on the team, citing what general manager Mike Dunleavy said on Tuesday about the player having “demanded” a trade.
“I’m aware of that. In terms of demands, when you make a demand there needs to be demand — on the market,” the manager said to reporters, per CBS Sports. “Always with these guys I tell them I’m willing to work with them … whether that’s JK or any player on our roster. So, we’re good with, if that’s his wishes, trying to figure that out, but we gotta do what’s best for our organization.”
In July 2025, Kuminga rejected a two-year contract offer from the Warriors reportedly worth $45 million.
Knee injuries have plagued some of the top players in the sport, with Nikola Jokic still on the mend and Jimmy Butler having his season ended early due to a torn ACL.
