Can Kings Still Trade for Jonathan Kuminga Amid Warriors Reports?

We’re just seven days away from the long-awaited end to the Jonathan Kuminga saga, and a resolution can’t come soon enough in my opinion. Despite the teams’ success with him on the roster, Kuminga has yet to hit his potential as a former lottery pick.

Now a restricted free agent, Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors need to find a resolution to his contract negotiations before October 1st. The Kings have offered two separate packages that have yet to pique the Warriors' interest, yet after a month of radio silence, the two Northern California rivals may still come together on a deal. Here’s what The Athletic’s Sam Amick had to say about their return to the table.

“Yet according to team sources, there’s still another scenario in play here: A sign-and-trade deal with the Sacramento Kings. While the two teams went more than a month without discussing the matter during the later part of the summer, team sources said the talks between the two sides were renewed earlier this week.”

Where Things Stand for Golden State

Dec 11, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) shoots the ball over Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

While the reported offer of Malik Monk and a protected first-round draft pick seems like more than enough for a team to part with a restricted free agent, this deal is a bit more nuanced for the Warriors.

First, Golden State hasn’t had much interest in Monk and would look to trade him, according to Amick. Second, trading Kuminga to an in-state rival is obviously not an ideal scenario for the Warriors. Finally, Golden State would need to deal a second player, likely Buddy Hield or Moses Moody, to make room for the free agents they’ve reportedly agreed to deals with.

Jonathan Kuminga was the only player from the Warriors' tentative 2025-26 squad absent for an informal minicamp organized by Jimmy Butler, per @ShamsCharania

Kuminga doesn't have a contract and remains a restricted free agent despite the Warriors offered a 3-year, $75.2M deal pic.twitter.com/r0asm8CdGn
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 24, 2025

The preferred scenario for Golden State is Kuminga agreeing to return on a two or three-year deal that includes a team option, with the expectation that he would be dealt before the trade deadline. Kuminga and his agent, understandably, have been pushing for a player option that would give the Congolese forward more control over his future.

Another option for Kuminga is the $7.9 million qualifying offer that the Warriors extended to make him a restricted free agent. Kuminga would be leaving over $40 million in guaranteed money on the table, but he retains some leverage because returning on the qualifying offer would make Kuminga nearly impossible to trade during the season.

Kuminga beats the defense on the fast break and slams home the reverse dunk 💨

76ers-Warriors | Live on TNT pic.twitter.com/0BwqnfIuO3
— NBA (@NBA) January 31, 2024

Where the Kings Stand

It’s no secret that both Scott Perry and BJ Armstrong are fans of Kuminga, with multiple reports that the Kings have given Kuminga assurances that he would be a big part of the team going forward and have the chance to start. The idea of Kuminga next to Keegan Murray is enticing, but giving up a big package for a restricted free agent who may be available next summer or at the deadline isn’t a smart decision.

The offer of Monk and a lottery-protected first-round pick is already steep, and removing the protections on the pick entirely should be a non-starter. However, Amick poses the idea of reducing the protections to get a deal done.

“It’s highly unlikely that the Kings would lift the protections entirely, but it’s fair to wonder if the prospect of them lowering them in the coming days might be enough to get a deal done.”

The challenge with lowering the protections, in my mind, is the fact that the Kings would already be giving up a very good player in Malik Monk. In any other scenario, trading Monk and a first-round pick for a player that hasn’t proven that he can consistently contribute in ways other than with the ball in his hands would be laughable.

Of course, this is the Sacramento Kings we’re talking about, and the path to getting minutes for the former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is murky to say the least. The Kings currently have four off-guards all vying for minutes behind Zach LaVine, including Monk. Malik is a great player, but his fit with LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Dennis Schröder is just plain bad. Moving Monk is less about him as a player and much more about how poorly constructed Sacramento’s roster is.

EVERY ANGLE of Malik Monk's monster slam from tonight's win! pic.twitter.com/0pN87A5U0m
— NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2023

Should the Kings Lower the Protections?

From my perspective, if a top-10 protected pick gets the deal done, call it in. I’m a huge fan of Monk and think he’s a much better player than Kuminga, but the Kings being stuck with Zach LaVine for at least the next two seasons makes it impossible for Monk to be at his best.

The Kings will have to take some shots in the next few seasons if they want to turn the team around, and trading for a player like Kuminga is the kind of risk that will be available for the Kings to take. There’s no guarantee that Kuminga will take the leap that makes a deal like this worthwhile, but you never know until you try.

Where Things Stand for Golden State

Where the Kings Stand

Should the Kings Lower the Protections?

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