In today’s Dub Hub:
- According to The Stein Line, a league executive called Jonathan Kuminga’s contract “one of the best trade chips” in the NBA.
- New York Liberty hire Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as their next head coach.
- Kings’ Domantas Sabonis out 3-4 weeks after suffering a partially torn left meniscus, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Questions around Jonathan Kuminga’s future with the Golden State Warriors have intensified in recent days following an ESPN report stating that Kuminga feels like he’s being used as the “scapegoat” for
the teams’ recent struggles. If Golden State were to explore a move, Kuminga and the team-friendly contract he signed this past offseason could be one of the more attractive trade pieces on the market, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. Via The Stein Line:
He’s not even eligible to be moved until Jan. 15, but it’s no secret that the Warriors’ hardball stance all summer with Kuminga in the sides’ restricted free agency saga was adopted with the intention to ensure that the 23-year-old was re-signed to a tradeable contract.
“It’s one of the best trade chips in the league,” one veteran executive told The Stein Line.
As Stein notes, Kuminga cannot be traded until Jan. 15, 2026. However, his recent move back to the bench — paired with a lingering knee injury that will now cost him a fifth straight game — isn’t currently helping the outlook of his future in Golden State. Kuminga remains the Warriors’ primary asset in any significant deal, and if the team wants to improve its chances while sitting just one game above .500, moving him in the future may be the only realistic path.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, November 21st:
Warriors News:
Why Warriors’ upcoming homestand signals critical juncture in how season unfolds | NBC Sports Bay Area
Coach Steve Kerr, who bemoaned the lack of practice time during their six-game road trip, the upcoming schedule provides enough time for at least two, maybe three, practice sessions. There will be ample opportunity to roll out video and offer constructive criticism.
“The schedule does turn our way,” Kerr told reporters Wednesday night in Miami, after a 110-96 loss to the Heat concluded the six-game road trip. “But we need to take advantage of it. We’ve got to get better.”
Sources: Liberty agree to hire Warriors’ Chris DeMarco as coach | ESPN
DeMarco has been with the Warriors since 2012, a holdover from the Mark Jackson era, serving in a variety of roles including assistant coach and player development coach while helping them win four NBA titles. He also has been the head coach of the Bahamian senior men’s national team since 2019.
DeMarco managed the Warriors’ defense and worked closely with Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole during their time in the Bay.
Draymond Green calls out former first overall pick Kenyon Martin
NBA News:
Lakers fire Joey Buss, Jesse Buss from front office positions | ESPN
The Los Angeles Lakers are reorganizing their basketball operations department and have fired executives Joey and Jesse Buss from their respective front office positions, effective immediately, the brothers told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Thursday.
The Lakers also dismissed much of their scouting department beyond the Buss brothers, including Sean Buss, Aaron Jackson, Moses Zapata and Can Pelister, sources told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Sean Buss shares the same mother as Joey and Jesse.
Kings’ center Domantas Sabonis out 3-4 weeks due to partially torn meniscus
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Anthony Davis to the Warriors makes no sense
The biggest issue with fitting Davis on the team is that he wouldn’t be replacing just Kuminga. Davis is in the midst of a three-year, $175.4 million contract, and the Warriors are a team that is not allowed to take on any additional money, due to how close they are to the apron. That means that any realistic package for Davis would have to be centered around Kuminga and Draymond Green … and then one of either Moses Moody or Buddy Hield (the former if the Mavs had their pick; the latter if the Warriors did). The other option would be to trade Jimmy Butler III straight up, but that A) isn’t going to happen and B) doesn’t resolve the Kuminga issue.
A post to end the week:
Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
