The relationship between Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga and head coach Steve Kerr remains strained, league sources told Ashish Mathur of Dallas Hoops Journal.
Warriors
Golden State is 10-9 after a rocky start. Kuminga opened the season in the starting lineup, held that role for 12 games, and was moved to the bench in Game 13. The 23-year-old is now sidelined indefinitely with bilateral knee tendinitis.
“He said he’s not moving that well,” Kerr said. “He needs to feel better and be able to move better before we can put him out there.”
Before the shutdown, Kuminga was averaging 13.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Behind the scenes, frustration persists. Sources told Mathur the forward asked to be traded last offseason and was interested in Sacramento, where assistant coach Doug Christie and the Kings’ front office reportedly outlined a prominent role for him.
Sacramento is said to have offered Malik Monk and a protected 2030 first-round pick. Golden State declined and later signed Kuminga to a two-year, $48.5 million extension structured so the second season can be renegotiated once he becomes trade-eligible on Jan. 15, 2026. Many league executives expect the Warriors to explore deals at that point.
Kings
The Athletic’s Sam Amick reports that guard Zach LaVine is uncertain about exercising his $48.9 million player option for 2025-26. LaVine, 30, is averaging 20.5 points on 49.8 percent shooting overall and 38.6 percent from three, but his fourth-quarter minutes have dwindled as Sacramento sits at 5-13.
Represented by Rich Paul, LaVine has reached the playoffs once in his career. With the club struggling, executives around the league believe the Kings could become sellers before the February trade deadline. Whether LaVine opts in, opts out, or is moved remains unclear.
Jazz & Pistons
Should the Detroit Pistons inquire about Lauri Markkanen, the Utah Jazz would insist on Ausar Thompson as the centerpiece of any deal, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. Utah reportedly even weighed trading up in the 2023 draft to select Thompson.
Markkanen is averaging 28.5 points while hitting 37.7 percent of his three-point attempts. Despite rival executives viewing him as an ideal fit next to Cade Cunningham, Detroit is 15-2 and, for now, has little incentive to alter its core.
Thompson, 22, is contributing 12.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists with notable energy and length. While the conversation could resurface if Detroit’s season falters, no movement is expected in the immediate future.
Source: Hoops Wire
