Warriors’ leverage in Jonathan Kuminga talks viewed as thinner than advertised

The relationship between Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors has reached the point where just about everyone agrees on the same conclusion. Namely, a trade would be the cleanest ending.

According to Anthony Slater and Shams Charania of ESPN, the situation has deteriorated to the point that moving on is viewed internally as the best outcome for all sides. That sentiment now appears to extend all the way to the top.

Team sources told The Athletic that even owner Joe Lacob, long one of Kuminga’s biggest advocates inside the organization, has grown “down” on the 23-year-old.

The problem is timing. Kuminga’s value is not what it once was. Multiple DNP-CDs this season have only accelerated a slide that began earlier in his career, making it difficult for Golden State to command the kind of return it envisioned.

The Kings, for example, remain interested after pursuing Kuminga over the summer, but league sources say they are no longer willing to include a first-round pick. A package once centered around Malik Monk and a protected future first has been scaled back.

That reality explains the Warriors’ public posture. Team sources have insisted they’re comfortable keeping Kuminga past the February 5 deadline and revisiting things in the offseason if acceptable value doesn’t materialize.

Rival executives aren’t buying it. Per ESPN and The Athletic, there’s a growing belief around the league that Golden State’s leverage is thinner than advertised.

The standoff now comes down to this — take a diminished return and move on, or hold the line and hope time somehow restores value. Either way, the status quo no longer feels sustainable.