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SAN FRANCISCO — The loudest voices on the ground level of the Golden State Warriors organization insist Jonathan Kuminga‘s trade request and the persistent chatter about his future won’t be a distraction.
“Everyone around here can confidently say it won’t be a distraction because he is not a distraction,” veteran forward Draymond Green said, pointing across the locker room to Kuminga’s locker.
The Warriors are quietly surging. After stumbling to a 13-15 start, they’ve won 10 of their past 14 games and moved to 4-1 on this current homestand with an impressive 126-113 win over the slumping New York Knicks on Thursday night.
But the Kuminga cloud continues to loom. League sources told ESPN that the embattled fifth-year forward issued a trade demand to the organization on Thursday, when he officially became trade eligible.
The team’s front office has spent the past several weeks getting a gauge on Kuminga’s trade market. The Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks are among the most interested suitors, league sources said.
The Warriors have prioritized expiring deals in trade talks and are motivated to move Kuminga, team sources said, but nothing appears imminent or guaranteed, leaving an inactive Kuminga to bide his time.
He hasn’t touched the floor in 14 games, working out individually and sitting at the end of the bench during games. Kuminga hasn’t spoken to reporters in several days but has been in a jovial mood when spotted in the locker room and team facility.
“It’s a very unique situation,” Stephen Curry said. “Our job is to keep playing, keep winning. It’ll resolve itself one way or the other.”
Veteran forward Jimmy Butler has been one of Kuminga’s strongest advocates since Butler arrived from Miami via trade last February.
“We love JK in this locker room,” Butler said. “That’s not going to change. If that happens to not be in here, we still rock with JK. That’s for everybody. I wish him the best here. I wish him the best wherever.”
Kuminga, like Butler at a few of his past NBA stops, desires to continue his career elsewhere. When Butler was asked whether he wanted the Warriors to grant that desire, he pumped the brakes.
“Hey, hey, hey, hey,” Butler said. “It ain’t got nothing to do with me. I want JK to be happy. At the end of the day, that’s what I want. Whatever brings him his joy and his happiness, that’s what I want.”
Kuminga and Warriors coach Steve Kerr talked after shootaround on Thursday morning. Kerr said he preferred to keep the conversation private, but acknowledged the entire ordeal is a “difficult situation” for everyone involved.
Winning tends to ease tension. The Warriors erased an early double-digit deficit to the Knicks and cruised to a 13-point win behind 32 points from Butler and 27 from Curry.
The only postgame concern came as Curry limped around the tunnel with a sleeve on his left leg, telling ESPN that he suffered a quad contusion but played through the pain. The Warriors continue their homestand on Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets.
“I like where we are at,” Curry said. “I like the vibes. I like how we are playing.”
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