Where the Kings Stand in Trade Talks for Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga

The Sacramento Kings are coming off their first trade of the season, as they acquired De'Andre Hunter from the Cleveland Cavaliers while sending out Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Dario Šarić. The expectation is that the Kings are not done making moves ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, but one potential target can likely be ruled out.

The Kings have been a top suitor for Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga since he was a restricted free agent last offseason, and have seemingly held interest in him for months. However, with the deadline just four days away, Kuminga no longer seems like an option for the Kings.

Especially after acquiring Hunter, the Kings are likely out of the Kuminga sweepstakes, but it is more so because the Warriors have never been interested in what Sacramento has to offer.

Kings have an "essentially zero" chance at Kuminga trade

Jan 20, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) looks to pass against the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter at Chase Center. | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel reported on the debacle that the Kings and Warriors have faced in trade talks for Kuminga, and how Sacramento never really had much of a chance at landing the 23-year-old forward, especially now.

"After acquiring De'Andre Hunter from the Cleveland Cavaliers, it seems unlikely that the Kings would still want to desperately add Kuminga, but they have never truly had the chance to," Siegel wrote. "One Warriors source told ClutchPoints that talks with the Kings about Kuminga, both dating back to the offseason and before 2026 began, never went anywhere because Sacramento had 'nothing worth sacrificing assets for.'"

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

The Kings initially inquired the Warriors with a deal centered around Malik Monk and a protected first-round pick, but Golden State had two big problems with that: they did not want Monk, and they wanted the protections removed from the pick. Of course, this immediately made trade talks come to a screeching halt.

More recently, it would make sense for the Kings to offer DeMar DeRozan in exchange for Kuminga, as the Warriors could be looking for a veteran wing to replace Jimmy Butler after his torn ACL. However, that has not panned out either.

"Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan, two players the Kings constantly made available in talks for Kuminga, were of no interest to the Warriors, and now, with Keon Ellis gone (Golden State had interest), the chances of a trade between these two teams is essentially zero," Siegel finished.

With Ellis, DeRozan, and Monk all off the table for a potential Warriors trade, the Kings are practically left with no viable options.

Sure, the Kings could now try to flip the newly-acquired Hunter in Kuminga talks, but The Athletic's Sam Amick reported that he has not heard anything about the Kings looking to trade Hunter, and even if they wanted to, the Warriors do not want to take on any money past this season.

"Could [De'Andre] Hunter get moved again? Sure, but I'm not hearing that right now."@sam_amick tells @CarmichaelDave & @JasonRoss1140 he doesn't expect a Hunter-Kuminga swap between the Kings & Warriors.

Plus: More intel on Keon Ellis suitors before the CLE trade: pic.twitter.com/BcaO0quPF7
— Sactown Sports 1140 (@Sactown1140) February 2, 2026

Can the Kings still land Kuminga?

While the Kings might not be trading for Kuminga at this year's deadline, the young wing could still find his way to Sacramento. With how the deadline is shaping up, unless the Warriors send Kuminga to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, then he will likely finish the season in Golden State.

Then, in the 2026 offseason, the Warriors will have to decide whether to pick up Kuminga's team option for the 2026-27 season. If they decline it, then he will hit unrestricted free agency, and there is no doubt that the Kings would be one of the first teams to give him a call on the open market.

Even if the Warriors decide to keep Kuminga for next season, the Kings will have more valuable expiring contracts to send in return if they are still desperate to trade for the disgruntled wing.

Regardless, the Kings are not getting Kuminga on the roster anytime soon, although what happens at the deadline does not rule out any potential moves in the future.

Kings have an "essentially zero" chance at Kuminga trade

Can the Kings still land Kuminga?

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