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Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga attempts a shot over Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray during a regular-season game this season.
The Kings’ Kuminga trade pursuit took a positive turn this week as the market shifted in Sacramento’s favor ahead of the deadline.
The Sacramento Kings remain the leading team in the Jonathan Kuminga sweepstakes, but the shape of that pursuit has changed significantly.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Golden State Warriors’ leverage in trade talks involving Kuminga has eroded sharply as the forward has fallen out of Steve Kerr’s rotation and his future with the organization has grown increasingly uncertain.
That loss of leverage is reshaping the market. While Sacramento continues to be viewed as the front-runner for the former No. 7 overall pick, the Kings are no longer bidding as aggressively as they once did, a dynamic that reflects both Golden State’s weakened position and Sacramento’s growing patience.
Kings Still Lead, but the Price Has Changed
Amick reported that Sacramento remains “widely seen as the leader in the Kuminga clubhouse,” with league sources confirming that the Kings spoke with the Warriors last week and are expected to re-engage soon.
However, the Kings’ offseason framework is no longer intact. Last summer, Sacramento offered a protected 2030 first-round pick and Malik Monk in a sign-and-trade attempt. League sources now say that the first-round pick is no longer in play.
“With Kuminga’s Warriors role disappearing this season, and his frayed relationship with Steve Kerr an open secret,” Amick wrote, “this is potentially the price Golden State will pay for that crucial loss in leverage.”
Sacramento’s interest remains real. The structure of that interest has simply become more conservative.
Kuminga’s Interest in Sacramento Was Established Early
The Kings’ pursuit of Kuminga did not begin this season.
Andscape’s Marc J. Spears reported during the offseason that Kuminga became convinced Sacramento was the right destination after a Zoom meeting with the franchise’s leadership, including general manager Scott Perry, assistant general manager BJ Armstrong and coach Doug Christie.
“He wants to go [to Sacramento],” Spears reported in June. “The Kings are offering a starting spot, as the power forward, next to Keegan Murray and [Domantas] Sabonis.”
That clarity distinguished Sacramento from other potential suitors. The Kings were not simply monitoring Kuminga’s availability; they were presenting him with a defined role and developmental path.
Rebuild Makes Kuminga a Logical Target for Kings
With the Kings off to an 8–29 start and projected to enter the lottery, the franchise is increasingly expected to pivot toward long-term restructuring rather than short-term competitiveness.
In that context, Kuminga aligns with Sacramento’s emerging timeline. At 23, he fits the age curve of a roster that is likely to be reshaped around younger talent and future flexibility. His athletic profile and positional versatility make him a candidate to grow alongside Murray and complement Sabonis on both ends of the floor.
The Kings’ view of Kuminga is not as a finishing piece, but as a foundational one.
Warriors’ Public Stance Viewed as Strategic
Golden State has publicly maintained that it is prepared to retain Kuminga beyond the Feb. 5 deadline if no deal materializes that meets its needs.
Around the league, that position is widely viewed as strategic rather than definitive.
NBA insider Brett Siegel has described the situation as increasingly untenable, noting that both sides privately recognize the relationship has reached a natural endpoint.
Sacramento is operating with that understanding.
Patience Keeps Kings in Control of the Market
Sacramento’s lack of urgency has become its greatest leverage. The Kings are not attempting to maximize a superstar’s prime; they are attempting to build one.
That posture allows Sacramento to wait for Golden State’s asking price to soften further, to explore a multi-team structure if necessary, or to walk away entirely if the valuation never aligns. That dynamic places pressure on the Warriors, not the Kings, and explains why Sacramento continues to shape the market from a position of patience rather than pursuit.
As the deadline approaches, the Kings remain at the center of the Kuminga conversation not because they are chasing him, but because they are positioned to act when the moment becomes right.
Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo
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