Warriors Notes: Jonathan Kuminga, Stephen Curry, De’Anthony Melton

Jonathan Kuminga becomes trade-eligible on January 15, and the chatter hasn’t slowed after his DNP in Sunday’s loss at Chicago.

Coach Steve Kerr acknowledged Kuminga’s situation when asked Wednesday, via ESPN’s Anthony Slater.

“I can imagine it’s not easy for him,” Kerr said. “We talked about the situation. My desire is for JK to be the best player he can be, regardless of where he ends up, whether it’s here or elsewhere.”

The Warriors have maintained that they value Kuminga, but his minutes have fluctuated all season and rival teams continue to monitor the situation.

Curry Nearing Return: Stephen Curry took part in a full scrimmage Wednesday, Slater reports. No final call has been made on his availability for Friday’s matchup with Minnesota, but Kerr indicated things are “looking promising.”

Curry has missed the last four games with a quad contusion and muscle strain.

Defense Leading the Way: Golden State enters the week with the league’s best defense over the past two weeks and sits third in defensive rating on the season, per Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle.

The Warriors have held three straight opponents under 100 points and have tightened things considerably since Draymond Green publicly challenged the group following a November 26 loss to Houston.

The Warriors aren’t a big team, but Gordon notes they’ve compensated with relentless ball pressure, switching schemes and the return of De’Anthony Melton, who debuted last week after rehabbing an ACL tear.

“We’re taking away some of the easy stuff,” Kerr said. “Overall, we’re doing a better job containing dribble penetration and just helping each other and playing with a lot of energy.”

Offense Still Catching Up: The offense sits 22nd in the league, weighed down by turnovers, but unexpected production has kept Golden State afloat.

Backup guard Pat Spencer is averaging 16 points and 5.8 assists on 59.1 percent shooting over his past four outings while Curry recovers.

“He’s a really good downhill pick-and-roll player,” Kerr said. “A powerful force. You need that action with modern spacing. And he’s a good passer.”