Warriors Reportedly Looking for Kings to Sweeten the Pot for Kuminga

The day of anticipation has finally arrived: Jonathan Kuminga can officially be traded today. With that, we're already seeing a drastic increase in news and updates, and as always the Kings are at the center of it.

ESNP's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater wrote about how Kuminga has officially demanded a trade from the Warriors, and in that update, included some notes on the Kings.

"League sources said the Warriors have been prioritizing expiring contracts in return for Kuminga. They've declined the idea of taking back long-term contracts unless they view it as no-brainer positive value. That has been the holdup in conversations with Sacramento. The Warriors refuse to absorb the three years and $60.4 million remaining on Malik Monk's deal, though league sources said Keon Ellis on a cheap expiring deal) is a potential sweetener of interest to them."

Golden State's Jonathan Kuminga has demanded a trade away from the Warriors as he becomes eligible to be moved Thursday, sources tell ESPN.

Full story with @anthonyVslater: https://t.co/70ByLkfbIN
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 15, 2026

At $2.3 million this year, Keon Ellis would indeed sweeten the pot. He's the rare type of player you can throw in money wise for a trade that could have a huge impact on the court. His production is down a bit this year, as he's averaging 5.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 17.3 minutes per game.

His shooting is what's struggled more this year, with his field goal percentage sitting at 38.4% and 35.7% from three, but he's continued to show that he's one of the most pesky defenders in the league who excels at getting his hands on the ball and getting in the passing lanes.

While that may not be exactly what the Kings need, he would be a great fit on the Warriors, especially with the likelihood of him getting more open looks from three in Golden State's offense.

Monk could immediately help the Warriors as well this season. He's been in and out of the rotation, but over the last four games, he's back to a lead role off the bench and is averaging 14.5 points and 3.8 assists on 47.4% shooting from three. Just like Ellis, he could thrive in the Warriors' offense. His contract is longer than many want, but that doesn't mean he isn't still a productive NBA player.

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Jan 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) dribbles past Dallas Mavericks guard Brandon Williams (10) in the third quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

It's been reported that Ellis is almost assuredly leaving this offseason if he isn't traded, so the Kings need to strike while the iron is hot. Ellis is one of the most coveted players on the market for a reason, and if they can use him to get the player they've had their eyes on since the start of the offseason, they should go for it and just get it done.

At 11-30, the Kings have nothing to lose this season, and if the Kings want to take a low-risk shot at the future with Kuminga, losing Ellis for it feels reasonable at this point of the year. He'd be getting here at a time when he can be the focus of the offense while the team continues to rebuild.

Throw in the fact that he would instantly be the Kings second-youngest player to only Maxime Raynaud, and Sacramento would finally have someone young with star potential. That's arguably the biggest key to kicking off a rebuild.

There's no guarantee that Kuminga turns into that type of star, but he also has a team option for next season, so it's as low-risk as bringing in a young player with star potential as ever could be. We still have three weeks until the February 5th trade deadline, which hopefully means this whole saga finally comes to an end. But only time will tell if that includes a much-anticipated trade to the Kings.

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