As the Los Angeles Lakers seek reinforcements for a playoff run ahead of the NBA trade deadline, the team's reported hopes of landing the disgruntled Jonathan Kuminga have taken a hit.
Though Kuminga has demanded a trade from the Golden State Warriors, last week's season-ending injury to Jimmy Butler has changed everything.
The Warriors no longer seem so inclined to deal Kuminga, a former first-round pick who fell down Steve Kerr's pecking order after signing a two-year, $48.5 million extension in the offseason.
MORE: Lakers reportedly offering $66M injury-prone duo for Warriors' $48M emerging rising star
According to ESPN's Anthony Slater, Kuminga remains nominally available in a trade%3Cmeta%20charset%3D%22UTF-8%22%20%2F%3E, and the Sacramento Kings remain a suitor.
But the Warriors are weighing up whether Kuminga would "get another crack at minutes post-deadline" in light of Butler's devastating ACL tear.
The Warriors are now less likely to trade Jonathan Kuminga now that Jimmy Butler is hurt, per @anthonyVslater
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 27, 2026
“Multiple team sources have described it as less likely Kuminga is moved following Jimmy Butler's right ACL tear. Prior to that injury, Kuminga was a $22.5 million wing… pic.twitter.com/A2Kr0jIyJ0
But the Warriors "have maintained no desire" to take on Malik Monk or DeMar DeRozan's multiyear contracts in a Kuminga trade, showing that general manager Mike Dunleavy will not make a negative-value deal just to move off Kuminga's contract. That's bad news for the Lakers, who were reportedly hoping to buy low on the 23-year-old wing.
If he's still on the roster after Feb. 5, Kuminga will end the season in San Francisco -- which was considered a remote possibility after he was a "DNP-CD" for 16 consecutive games.
More NBA news:
Lakers trade idea ships LeBron and Bronny James to Cleveland for $238 million star
Grizzlies' $65 million reason for trading Ja Morant revealed
Lakers predicted to part with $33 million forward a part of historic Luka Doncic trade