Kings stand alone in pursuit of Kuminga. With no other competition, Sacramento eyes a proactive trade for the promising Warriors forward.
The Sacramento Kings' pre-trade deadline dealings could see the franchise becoming incredibly busy, as they'll aim to ship away proven talents in exchange for promising prospects and valuable draft assets.
Over the past few months, the Kings' unapologetic fondness of 23-year-old Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga has only grown as both teams have maintained an open trade dialogue since the summer.
Kuminga ended up returning to Golden State as a restricted free agent, but it was understood by the rest of the NBA landscape that he and the dynastic franchise would eventually part ways via trade prior to this season's Feb. 5 trade deadline.
As the deadline draws near, a surprising new bit of intel from NBC Sports Bay Area's Warriors insider Monte Poole has revealed that the Kings haven't seen any competition from other potential suitors, a positive twist to the ongoing Kuminga-Kings conversations.
"Of the other 29 teams in the NBA, only the Sacramento Kings have shown interest in acquiring Kuminga, according to league sources," Poole wrote Friday morning.
"That the Kings are alone on this island makes a statement on its own -- use your imagination -- but Sacramento general manager Scott Perry is eager to shed high-salaried veterans and begin a rebuild," Poole continued.
"The other 28 teams have shown no more than tepid interest, sources say, leaving the market for Kuminga even cooler now than it was last July, when he was a restricted free agent hoping for an offer sheet that never came."
Though it might sound like it has a negative connotation, the Kings being left stranded as the only team with active interest in a Kuminga deal isn't all too bad.
Kuminga's market has surely dried up a fair amount since he last received meaningful minutes for Golden State at the tail end of their 2025 playoff run, but his clear upside remains evident.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has deliberately kept Kuminga out of his rotation for plenty of this season in what appeared to be an attempt to preserve his trade value, but that plan has had the opposite effect.
In just 18 contests for the Warriors to this juncture, Kuminga's scoring has plummeted to 11.8 points on a 47.5% effective field goal percentage, though he's also posted career-bests in the rebounds and assist department, bringing down 6.2 and dishing 2.6, respectively.
Kuminga's trade restriction won't be lifted until Jan. 15, giving the Kings ample time to throw together their best possible offer for the uber-athletic combo-forward.
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