SAN FRANCISCO — Kuminga Mania never stops for the Golden State Warriors.
The up and down drama that surrounds 23-year-old forward Jonathan Kuminga took another turn Tuesday night in the Warriors 145-127 loss to the Toronto Raptors. For the first time since playing 10 minutes in a Dec. 18 loss to the Phoenix Suns, Kuminga was back on the floor — and he made the most of his opportunity, scoring 20 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out two assists in 21 minutes. After not playing in over a month, Kuminga shook off some understandable rust early and contributed offensively for a Warriors team that showed no interest in playing defense all night. After the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Kuminga’s teammates were pleased by what they saw.
“It was great,” Kerr said. “He came in and had great energy, attacked the rim, made some shots. I thought JK was really good and it’s a great sign. With Jimmy (Butler) out, obviously there’s a hole at that spot on our roster. So JK’s gonna factor in here again and really pleased with the way he stayed ready and stayed prepared and got his opportunity and played really well.”
As the Warriors embark on their new world without Jimmy Butler, the most intriguing question coming into Tuesday’s game was not just whether Kuminga would play — but whether he even wanted to. Kerr said before the game that he felt Kuminga did and Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy also noted that he believed Kuminga would be ready if called upon. With Butler out of the fold, and the Feb. 5 trade deadline looming on the horizon, the fact that Kuminga played, and actually played pretty well was important for both player and team.
Dunleavy delivered the quote of the year before the game while discussing Kuminga’s recent trade demand. The line, which quickly became a discussion point around the league, was a direct message to both Kuminga, and his agent, Aaron Turner.
“As far as the demand, I’m aware of that,” Dunleavy said. “In terms of demands, when there’s a demand, there needs to be a demand on the market. So we’ll see how that unfolds.”
Rarely does an executive go on the record to deliver that kind of statement, but it underscored the level of frustration that has been building between player and team as Kuminga has struggled to find both opportunity and consistency within his game.
Kuminga declined to speak to reporters after the game, but Turner sent a slavo back at Dunleavy after his client’s performance.
Demand is sensitive to price or playing time, So if a seller sees demand is low, lower the price point or let him play and demand will go ⬆️#IUEconomicsMajor #Nationalchamps @mcuban @VicOladipo pic.twitter.com/41B72xzf3V
— Aaron Turner (@arockturner20) January 21, 2026
The exchange offered yet another intriguing chapter in a season that has had no shortage of storylines. The reality for both Kuminga and the Warriors is it’s in the best interest of both parties for Kuminga to take advantage of this opportunity. Butler is going to be out for months which means Kuminga, once again, will have plenty of chances to showcase his talent. That’s never been Kuminga’s problem; backing it up with consistency has.
For his part, Dunleavy admitted that he wished the whole situation had “worked out better,” but now that the Warriors are in the situation that they’re in, Kuminga will have nobody else to blame, at least in the short-term, if things don’t work out. Draymond Green, praised his young teammate for staying prepared and taking advantage of another opportunity when he got one.
“I think we’ve all been very vocal about how he’s handled himself,” Green said. “He’s been incredible. And that is proven by the game he had. If you’ve been a nuisance, if you will, that game doesn’t happen for you.”
Dunleavy reiterated that he always tells his players that he’s “willing to work with them,” if they want to try and find a better situation. In the same breath, though, he reiterated the message the organization has made clear since last summer’s prolonged contract negotiations with Turner: The Warriors have to do what is in the best interest of their team.
What’s in the best interest of all involved is Kuminga stringing together more solid performances as the Warriors begin a four-game road trip in Dallas on Thursday. Dunleavy made it clear that while he knows his team is in a completely different position now than it was before Butler got hurt, he wants to see how the next couple weeks turn out before making any kind of large decision about the future.
If Kuminga remains steadfast in his belief that his career is better served on a different team, the best thing he can do to make that happen is continue to put up numbers like he did Tuesday night. Kuminga is finally going to have another chance he’s been seeking. The real question for the next two weeks is what is he going to do with it?