The Golden State Warriors are in a peculiar position now that Jimmy Butler is done for the season with an ACL injury.
They have no earthly chance of competing for a championship with him down, but they also have a duty to Stephen Curry to attempt to remain competitive. Almost everything must be on the table over the next week as the trade deadline approaches.
However, one possibility for a trade appears to be diminishing. Jonathan Kuminga tweaked his ankle and his knee in Thursday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks, and it appears as though his trade market is relatively non-existent.
Although Kuminga requested a trade, he could be stuck playing out the rest of the season in Golden State.
At the same time, his injury isn't believed to be overly serious. He will return in the near future, and he will have one final opportunity to get his revenge on the team that has slighted him for so long.
It was an ankle twist and minor knee hyperextension for Jonathan Kuminga, per source. He’s done for the night but it isn’t believed to be serious. Kuminga has 30 points in his 30 minutes since rotation return. He was a +18 before the injury tonight.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) January 23, 2026
Jonathan Kuminga will almost certainly play out the rest of the season with the Warriors
After beginning the season on a hot streak, Kuminga quickly regressed into the bad habits that led to his benching last year. As a result, he played just nine minutes between Dec. 7 and Jan. 19. During that time, trade speculation abounded.
Any path to the Warriors completing a difference-making trade this season would have involved Kuminga's contract. Yet that possibility is rapidly diminishing as the team looks less and less competitive.
Golden State, moreover, has very little leverage in a trade involving Kuminga. His value is the lowest it's ever been, and teams around the league know they are heavily incentivized to get rid of him.
Will Kuminga's trade value ever reach the heights it once held? There is very little chance, even with the way his contract has been orchestrated.
Yet Kuminga still has the chance to prove to the Warriors what he's been claiming all along: he can be a star-caliber scorer if given the right opportunity.
In the 30 minutes he's played since the Butler injury, he's amassed 30 points, six rebounds, and four assists, knocking down 76.9% of his attempts from the field. When he returns from his injury, there will be absolutely nothing standing in his way.
A resurgence from Kuminga could help Golden State complete a trade this offseason, sure. But the relationship has already deteriorated far past the point of return.
Kuminga now has the chance to deliver one final blow to the Warriors before his departure is ultimately finalized.