Warriors Get Bad and Good News on Kuminga, Curry
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga will miss his fifth consecutive game due to bilateral knee tendinitis when the team returns to Chase Center to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. The latest NBA injury report ruled Kuminga out with the lingering knee issue after he was forced to exit early against the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 12.
The 23-year-old forward has been battling discomfort for nearly two weeks and the team has chosen a cautious approach despite the Warriors’ up-and-down start.
Stephen Curry Cleared; Butler, Green and Hield Listed as Probable
Golden State received a boost on Thursday as Stephen Curry was cleared to return from his ankle injury after missing the final two games of the Warriors’ six-game road trip. The team also listed starters Jimmy Butler (back) and Draymond Green (illness), along with Buddy Hield (illness), as “probable.”
They all missed Wednesday’s 110–96 loss to the Miami Heat, where Golden State played without Curry, Butler, Green, Kuminga and center Al Horford.
Kuminga Feels Like the ‘Scapegoat’ in Warriors’ Struggles
Despite his promising start, Kuminga is reportedly frustrated with how he has been treated during the team’s early struggles. A team source told ESPN’s Anthony Slater that Kuminga “feels like the scapegoat again” after being demoted to the bench when the Warriors’ rotations became unstable following a 4–1 start.
“Kuminga’s turnovers spiked and performance dipped. Searching for rotation answers, Kerr demoted Kuminga back to a bench role, reopening old wounds,” Slater wrote.
Kuminga averaged 13.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists through nine games while his turnovers climbed from 2.4 per game to 3.1 per game during his final seven appearances before the injury.
Warriors Won Without Him, But Butler Says Winning Isn’t About Kuminga
Golden State won three straight immediately after Kuminga went down — a trend that might have intensified speculation. However, Butler pushed back on the idea that the Warriors improved simply because Kuminga wasn’t playing.
“Him not being in the lineup ain’t the reason that we’re winning,” Butler said. “We’re just playing better basketball. Roles are clearer. We’re making shots. We’re guarding. That ain’t got nothing to do with him.”
Kuminga Felt Like a ‘Human Trade Exception’ This Summer
Kuminga agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million extension in October, but Slater reported that the former lottery pick believed he was being treated like a “human trade exception,” with his future not fully secure even after signing the deal.
Internally, there is acknowledgment that Kuminga’s contract does not guarantee long-term status in Golden State’s core.
Warriors Dealt Bad News on Potential Kuminga Replacement
Sixth-year wing P.J. Washington and the
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Washington’s new deal will keep with the Mavericks through the 2029-30 season.
As per the CBA, the Warriors won’t be eligible to trade for Washington for at least the next six months, ruling him out as a potential trade target for Kuminga.
With Kuminga widely expected to sign his one-year qualifying offer worth $7.9 million, the Warriors would have little to no leverage in any trades, as the Congolese forward will have the right to veto any transactions leading to his free agency in 2026.
Dallas Mavericks forward PJ Washington has agreed to a four-year, $90 million contract extension with the franchise, agent Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management told ESPN. Washington secures a new deal that keeps him in Dallas through 2029-30.
pic.twitter.com/v28jVbtMs9— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 3, 2025
Warriors Urged to Target Washington
Blue Man Hoop’s G.C. Bellchamber made a case for the Warriors to replace Kuminga with Washington, citing the latter’s ability to play defense and knock down threes.
“While it is highly unlikely that the Mavericks would have any interest in Kuminga, the Warriors are also almost certainly planning on moving on from Kuminga sometime within the next year,” he wrote.
“Therefore, if they are eventually able to offload Kuminga’s salary to an interested team, they could then set their sights on Washington as the ideal addition in their frontcourt. Although the fit with Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green would be complicated, Washington has shown a willingness to fit his game to whatever role is needed for a contending team, and bringing his dynamic skill-set into Golden State could propel them towards immediate title contention.”
The writer further argued that Washington may get lost in the shuffle on a Mavericks team that already includes Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Klay Thompson, Max Christie, Caleb Martin and
Washington to Come off the Bench?
While Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has yet to name his starting unit, it is widely believed that the team will begin the 2025-26 season with a backcourt of D’Angelo Russell and Klay Thompson, to go with Flagg, Davis and Lively. As such, Washington could be coming off the bench to start the season, which could lead to some friction.
Thompson, though, seems to be open to any role needed of him.
“I think we personally have the best front court in the NBA when healthy,” he told the “Showtime” podcast,
“We have so much depth in the front court between P.J., Coop, Gaff and AD. Then, get in a guy like DLo, having that guard depth, I’m just really excited,”
If Washington gets lost in the shuffle in the 2025-26 season, the Warriors could seize their opportunity and swoop in, potentially making an offer for the versatile wing. Washington, who played a pivotal role in helping the Mavericks reach the 2024 NBA Finals, could be a seamless fit on a Warriors team that could use a 3-and-D wing.
The Warriors have nearly $177 million committed in salaries for the 2026-27 season, and may need to trade either Buddy Hield and/or Moses Moody to pursue Washington.
