DeRozan's and Monk's multi-year contracts are blocking the Kings' pursuit of Kuminga, creating a crucial financial hurdle for both teams.
Nothing has come easy for the Sacramento Kings in 2025-26, and their misfortune could now be spreading to the front office and general manager Scott Perry.
Sacramento has remained one of the biggest potential players prior to the Feb. 5 trade deadline, and a pertinent mission for the franchise has been to acquire the Golden State Warriors' tantalizing 23-year-old forward Jonathan Kuminga.
If the Kings are able to land the uber-athletic wing with possible All-Star upside, he could become one of their core building blocks. In 20 appearances and 13 starts for the Warriors this season, Kuminga has contributed 12.1 points while notching career-highs with 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists paired with a 54.3% true shooting percentage.
Unfortunately, a rough update from ESPN's Anthony Slater confirmed that a deal will be hard to come by from a financial perspective, adding a brand new hoop to jump through and confirming one of the Kings' biggest fears.
"While the Sacramento Kings have long been Kuminga's most interested suitor, league sources said there have been no recent traction in those talks," Slater wrote Tuesday.
"The Warriors have maintained no desire to absorb Malik Monk's or DeMar DeRozan's multiyear contracts in the deal, messaging to the Kings that they'd prefer an expiring contract back in a smaller-scale maneuver."
The Kings' main function as deadline day inches closer will be to sell their valued stars, but two of their most impactful trade chips in 6-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan and 2024 Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Malik Monk do not appear to satisfy Golden State in ongoing Kuminga discussions.
Issues have suddenly made themselves apparent, as the hefty, somewhat long-term contracts of both DeRozan ($24.8 million AAV) and Monk ($18.8 million AAV) evidently struck a chord with Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy. The former's deal runs through 2026-27, and the latter could accept a $21.6 million player option for the 2027-28 season.
Golden State would prefer to take on expiring deals if they can help it, and that's an area where the Kings are not ready to support the dynastic franchise. If anything, Keon Ellis could be a cause for intrigue from Dunleavy, though they'd be fighting for the opportunity to ultimately pay the eventual 2026 unrestricted free agent once his $2.3 million deal expires come season's end.
Even still, the chance of landing one of the NBA's hottest commodities this trade season to pair 4-time NBA champion Stephen Curry with a quality three-and-D backcourt partner might be one that the Warriors' front office won't let slip by.
Otherwise, the Kings' hopes of landing Kuminga might be dashed.
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