The Golden State Warriors are enjoying one of the best stretches of their season. Four wins in their last five games, including a 126-113 victory over the New York Knicks, have restored confidence and continuity to a team that looked shaky just a few weeks ago.

Yet while the on-court product tells a positive story, a delicate issue remains unresolved off the floor: Jonathan Kuminga’s trade request.

Stephen Curry’s stance on the Kuminga situation

Clarifying the locker-room atmosphere was Stephen Curry, who publicly addressed an issue that has hovered over the Warriors for weeks.

Despite Kuminga’s complete absence from the rotation – zero minutes played over the past month – Golden State’s leader sought to downplay the impact on the group:

It’s not a distraction. It’s a very unique situation. Our job is to keep playing and winning. It’ll get resolved one way or another.

Stephen Curry

Words that reflect the franchise’s approach: focus on the present, with the understanding that the situation will be resolved before the February 5 trade deadline.

Jonathan Kuminga increasingly distant from the Warriors

It’s now evident that the relationship between Jonathan Kuminga and Golden State has reached its breaking point. The 2002-born forward and his camp have formally requested a trade, a move that makes sense given his total exclusion from the team’s plans in recent weeks.

His contract, however, remains a strategic asset for the Warriors, who could use it as trade currency to upgrade the roster for the second half of the season.

Which direction for a Kuminga trade?

Kuminga’s future remains uncertain, as does the return Golden State might secure. Some avenues appear already closed:

  • Trey Murphy is not a realistic option, with the Pelicans asking too much.
  • Michael Porter Jr. was never a true target.

More plausible is the idea of leveraging Kuminga to land a high-level center, a position the Warriors have been looking to strengthen for some time.

One thing seems clear: Jonathan Kuminga has likely already played his final game in a Warriors jersey.

What comes next in his career remains to be seen:

  • Will he finally unlock his potential in a different environment?
  • Or will he put up numbers without truly impacting a losing team?

The answers will come soon. In the meantime, Golden State moves forward, guided by a Curry who continues to preach calm and confidence.