Jonathan Kuminga trade talks expose bigger questions for Kings, Warriors

It’s not quiet in Sacramento. And it’s not settled in Golden State.

According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Kings are among the teams with interest in Jonathan Kuminga as the February 5 trade deadline approaches.

That interest isn’t new. When Kuminga hit restricted free agency over the summer, Kings GM Scott Perry visited him in Miami. The door never closed.

Perry checked back in last week, contacting Mike Dunleavy Jr., Slater reports. The Warriors’ message hasn’t changed much. Kuminga is available. He’s not being dumped. And if the right offer doesn’t show up, Golden State is comfortable keeping him.

What’s changed is Sacramento’s appetite. Perry was willing to part with a protected 2030 first-round pick last offseason. Slater says he’s now expressed reservations about going that far.

Golden State, for its part, won’t take on long-term money it views as negative value and has no interest in Malik Monk, who has significant future salary.

A multi-team structure could help. Keon Ellis’ $2.3 million expiring deal has drawn leaguewide interest, and Slater notes Ellis becomes extension-eligible February 9.

Then there’s the bigger picture in Sacramento.

Owner Vivek Ranadive remains heavily involved. He pushed aggressively for DeMar DeRozan last summer, a pursuit that cost a distant unprotected first-round pick and resulted in a contract that’s hard to move. Slater also notes internal concerns about accountability, echoed by veterans like Dennis Schroder and Domantas Sabonis.

Head coach Doug Christie isn’t in immediate danger, but the roster is expensive, rigid, and difficult to reshape.

Which brings it back to Kuminga. Interest is real. Hesitation is real. And nothing about this feels simple.