Jonathan Kuminga conundrum, Giannis’ decision, Ja Morant headline latest NBA trade deadline intel

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Jonathan Kuminga conundrum, Giannis’ decision, Ja Morant headline latest NBA trade deadline intel

Brett Siegel, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Thu, Jan 22, 2026 ·

21 min read

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Jonathan Kuminga conundrum, Giannis' decision, Ja Morant headline latest NBA trade deadline intel appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

There are exactly two weeks until the 2026 NBA trade deadline. At this point last season, five different trades had been made. So far this year, the Trae Young deal with the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards has been the only trade to occur.

What is the holdup around the NBA right now as the trade deadline inches closer?

For starters, many teams, especially those near the top of the Western Conference, are signaling that they do not wish to make any roster changes. Another big reason is that there aren't many clear sellers this season, especially with how cognizant front offices are of the salary structure and cap implications that come with long-term contracts.

Of course, then there are Jonathan Kuminga , Giannis Antetokounmpo , and Ja Morant : three big names whose teams are waiting on answers about.

Antetokounmpo is undoubtedly the biggest question mark around the league , and he has been in this position since the offseason. While he continues to say he is committed to the Milwaukee Bucks , it's clear that his frustrations are reaching a point of no return.

Much of the same can be said about Morant, who is a disgruntled star in a situation that has not been fixed for months . Morant and Memphis Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo have never seen eye-to-eye, and the signals to move in a different direction from Memphis could not be louder. Even so, many questions still surround Morant and whether he will actually be on the move within the next two weeks.

And then there are the Golden State Warriors with multiple situations to sort through. Not only is Jimmy Butler now out for the season after suffering a torn right ACL, but Kuminga is back in the rotation after head coach Steve Kerr didn't play him for 16 straight games.

Kuminga's relationship with the Warriors has been fractured for quite some time, and the overarching belief since he signed a new contract this past summer was that the former lottery pick would be traded this year. Butler going down for the year certainly changes a lot of the Warriors' plans, and maybe it isn't all that crazy to think this opportunity changes Kuminga's outlook.

Let's get right into all the latest we have for you, starting with the mess Mike Dunleavy Jr . and the Warriors will need to sort through over the next 14 days.

Warriors face major Jonathan Kuminga question

What are the Warriors going to do? This was a pivotal question as the trade season began before the calendar flipped to 2026, and it is the question every organization is asking now that Jimmy Butler is out for the season with a torn ACL.

When talking with rival front-office personnel about where the Warriors go from here, the overarching answer was simple: "Maximize the final years of Stephen Curry 's career." Despite losing Butler, that is exactly what Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Golden State's front office are signaling with two weeks until the trade deadline, as all options are on the table for them to keep themselves in a contending state.

"I think it just always comes down simply to making good decisions, and that'll be the same here," Dunleavy said while addressing the media on Tuesday night. "Maybe the parameters have changed, maybe the goalposts have moved a little bit, but we believe in making good sound decisions, and we'll do that whether it's something big, small, or whatever.

"The main thing is we do the right thing."

After all, the mindset before Butler's injury was that this team had enough to contend with any team in a seven-game series, which is why the Dubs were exploring the trade market for a potential final piece to solidify their title chances. In doing so, Michael Porter Jr. from the Brooklyn Nets was a prominent name connected to Golden State, given his offensive surge and 3-point shooting on the wing.

League sources told ClutchPoints that these two teams did speak to one another during the first week of 2026, but no real trade talks regarding Porter ever materialized. The Warriors, who had internally discussed the idea of pursuing Porter, received indications that his asking price would be too much compared to the trade market as a whole.

It no longer appears as if pursuing Porter is a path the Warriors would like to go down in the wake of Butler's injury, especially with Moses Moody and Buddy Hield , two players who would likely be salary fillers to acquire a player like Porter, seeing their respective roles elevated.

While quickly on the topic of Porter, it is worth mentioning that the talk of the Los Angeles Lakers possibly throwing their hat in the mix for Porter isn't a realistic possibility and something they do not have a desire to do, sources said. The Lakers have signaled that they do not want to take on big money at this time, regardless of how many years a player has left on their contract.

All indications coming out of Brooklyn are that the Nets are very comfortable keeping Porter and don't feel a need to rush a decision. Trade talks could be revisited in the summer, as rival teams continue to get the sense that the Nets will keep Porter as their focal scorer heading into the offseason.

Back to the Warriors and their main issue at hand: the clock is now ticking louder.

With 14 days left until the NBA trade deadline, word surrounding the Warriors is that they will not be rushing any decisions. Any move this organization makes will be either the day before or right at the trade deadline, as this front office has a lot of options and scenarios to sort through.

Trading Jimmy Butler is a possibility that will obviously be brought up and discussed during the several meetings the Warriors' brass will hold, yet such a move is unlikely to happen. Even Dunleavy alluded to this in his comments on Tuesday, stating that he doesn't "envision" such a decision being made.

Of course, Warriors fans may look back on Dunleavy's comments surrounding Jordan Poole in 2023, as the Dubs GM said then that the team's plan was to have the young guard in the Bay Area through the end of his contract at the very least. Three days later, Poole was traded to the Washington Wizards for multi-time All-Star guard Chris Paul , so never say never when it comes to the possibility of trading Butler.

That idea is especially true when considering three big names who always seem to be linked to the Warriors: Giannis, LeBron James , and Anthony Davis .

Should Giannis request a trade from the Bucks, Warriors owner Joe Lacob will do whatever it takes to try and put his organization at the front of the line for the two-time MVP, multiple sources told ClutchPoints. He is the one player the Dubs would be willing to move any of their assets for before this year's trade deadline.

As for LeBron, pairing him with Curry to end their careers has been something Golden State has recently explored. It almost seems like an annual phone call that the Warriors and Lakers have, as the Dubs made a serious push for James before the 2024 NBA trade deadline, and the league's all-time leading scorer holds a close relationship with both Curry and Draymond Green .

With tensions rising in Los Angeles and James appearing to be on his way out from the Lakers this upcoming offseason, maybe he and his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, would seriously consider waiving their no-trade clause to go to the Warriors.

This is simply something scouts and agents around the league are fantasizing about, and there is nothing to suggest that this is a real option for the Warriors at this year's trade deadline. However, the Lakers do have interest in Kuminga and are in need of draft assets. No matter what, it appears as if this will be LeBron's final season with the Lakers.

Davis, a former teammate of LeBron's in Los Angeles not too long ago, is in the same boat as Porter in terms of a trade target the Warriors have discussed and have not actively moved on, sources said. Nothing has changed on this front, and trading Butler for Davis is not something the Dubs have expressed any desire in to this point.

So, what will the Warriors do before the trade deadline, especially with the Kuminga drama hanging over their heads? Is there actually a deal to be had involving the young, dynamic forward?

As of right now, the path forward for the Warriors involves Kerr reintegrating Kuminga into his nightly rotation off the bench, and he looked good on Tuesday night against the Toronto Raptors , scoring 20 points in 21 minutes. No matter what type of production Kuminga gives this team, it's still clear he wants out, and the Warriors will continue to make trade calls every day to see what they can potentially get for him.

That includes continuing to pursue Trey Murphy III from the New Orleans Pelicans , a player the Warriors have made several calls about this season, sources said. Outside of the dream scenario of landing a superstar player, Murphy has long been the Dubs' top trade target this year, even though the New Orleans front office continues to signal that they will not consider any trades involving the 25-year-old wing.

Nonetheless, the Pelicans have fielded calls for Murphy from multiple teams, which has led many to believe they simply haven't received their asking price of multiple first-round picks and a young player or two. The Warriors have a full arsenal of draft picks that could be utilized for a player like Murphy, and Dunleavy even alluded to such a decision when addressing whether Golden State would sacrifice such valuable assets.

"I think our picks always will be and have been in play. To give up our picks, it's got to be meaningful to get something back. We're looking at everything," Dunleavy stated. "I think if we're talking about trading draft picks that will be going out when Steph isn't here, it's going to have to be a player that we think will be here when those picks are going out. And that player is going to have to be pretty impactful.

"If there is a great player to be had, we got everything in the war chest that we'd be willing to use."

Other than Murphy, league personnel are linking wings and forwards like Andrew Wiggins and DeMar DeRozan to the Warriors. This is the area in which the Warriors are said to be evaluating the trade market, as the possibility of adding a notable frontcourt talent isn't viewed as a priority over addressing the forward positions.

DeRozan was recently mentioned as a potential target by ESPN's Shams Charania when considering where the Warriors go from here with Butler out.

The Sacramento Kings haven't been an easy organization for the Warriors to talk trades with over the last year, given their long-standing interest in Kuminga and desire to not relinquish anything of value to Golden State. As a result, it's very unlikely the Warriors would do a Kuminga-DeRozan swap, but the veteran star is certainly an option whose name will be brought up in the brain trust's meetings.

A potential Wiggins return would be quite the story that is interesting to discuss as a hypothetical trade scenario. But that too would result in parting with Moody, Hield, or someone else for salary-matching purposes.

Kerr made his affection for Wiggins known during his recent return to San Francisco for the first time as a member of the Miami Heat , and a lot of members of the organization spent time talking with the former first overall pick while he was in town. There is still a lot of mutual love between both parties.

The bottom line for the Warriors is that Kuminga will continue to play, and the front office will continue to search the market to make a substantial move and keep this roster in a position to compete come time for the playoffs. That is why it is still way too early to rule out the possibility of a surprising move to strike a deal with the Pelicans and trade for Murphy.

Should Kuminga remain on the roster past the trade deadline, it will be due to Murphy's price remaining too high for Golden State. Not to mention, Giannis will continue to be on the minds of Lacob and everyone in the Warriors' front office as this upcoming summer's biggest trade target should he remain with the Bucks past the trade deadline.

Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo have trade market on hold

Giannis Antetokounmpo made his stance on remaining in Milwaukee very clear to The Athletic's Sam Amick on Jan. 7 after the Bucks lost 120-113 to the Golden State Warriors . While walking to the team bus, Antetokounmpo did something he has never done before and spoke one-on-one about all the rumors surrounding him, and he made it clear that leaving the Bucks was not something he intends on doing .

"There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment that I will come out and say, 'I want a trade,'" Giannis said. "That's not … in … my … nature. OK?"

But to say all has been well in Milwaukee would be shameless deception. Nothing has gone right for the Bucks this year, and Giannis has been a one-man team. The Bucks are now 18-25 this season after losing 122-102 on their home floor to the Oklahoma City Thunder , which raised even more questions about Giannis' immediate future since he simply looked defeated on the court with no answers.

Every team around the NBA is monitoring Antetokounmpo's situation closely, especially after he claimed he doesn't know what will happen at the deadline and he will take everything "day-by-day." On Wednesday night, the Bucks star added more fuel to the fire when he said the team isn't "playing hard" or "playing to win."

Could Giannis actually decide he wants out of Milwaukee? Many around the NBA are anticipating this marriage to end in the summer, which has directly impacted this trade deadline since many organizations that believe they have a legitimate shot to trade for Giannis don't want to sacrifice any assets right now.

When asking around the league, the same answer of this relationship already appearing to be over between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks remains relevant.

"It really seems like he's made up his mind already," one Eastern Conference executive told ClutchPoints. "But this is Giannis we are talking about, and he's very careful with the words he picks when talking to the media because he doesn't want to be painted as the villain in Milwaukee. And if we are being honest, he shouldn't be, no matter if he requests a trade or not.

"He may not have directly requested a trade, but everyone knows what's going on there. It's basically just who will break the silence and actually say it is time to move on. Giannis doesn't want to be that guy, and that's understandable."

As far as teams preparing to pursue Antetokounmpo as soon as they get the indication that Milwaukee will listen to trade offers, which they have not to this point, one Western Conference executive whose team has consistently made the playoffs through the years said that their organization is operating under the mindset that Giannis will be available in the summer.

"That writing has been on the wall since the whole Damian Lillard stuff because Giannis and his people know the Bucks are stuck," the Western Conference executive stated. "There's nothing they can do right now to get back to where they were in 2021."

Several teams believe they are at the forefront of the upcoming Giannis sweepstakes: the New York Knicks , Miami Heat, and Golden State Warriors, to name a few.

But when that time comes, and it is clear Giannis wants out of Milwaukee, he will have a lot of say in his next destination. New York has long been mentioned as Antetokounmpo's preferred destination , and a lot of the talk surrounding Miami entering this trade deadline is that the organization is holding onto assets to pursue Giannis.

That is why the Heat aren't willing to surrender any draft picks or young talents in a deal for Ja Morant , whom Miami holds firm interest in, sources said. Unless they can acquire the Grizzlies guard at a discount, no deal will materialize at the trade deadline.

There has been a lot of talk about the Bucks being aggressive and adding something before this year's trade deadline, but what happens if Giannis actually asks out over the next two weeks? Will the Bucks trade him in the middle of the season, or will they wait until the offseason?

Until there is a firm answer about what's happening in Milwaukee, the league is essentially on standby when it comes to trade talks.

Should Ja Morant stay or should he go?

Ja Morant loves the city of Memphis and the community that supports the Grizzlies. That has never been questioned.

At the same time, his early-season feud with head coach Tuomas Iisalo created cracks in Morant's relationship with the organization that have truly never healed. Even after returning to the court in London for the Grizzlies and actually appearing to be happy in the midst of games, GM Zach Kleiman and this front office are still engaging with teams about the possibility of trading Morant, sources said.

The word from team personnel and organizations who have held direct dialogue with Memphis over the last couple of weeks suggests that Morant is available and that the Grizzlies are not opposed to moving him. On the flip side, there has been pushback from the Grizzlies, given the lack of value such a move would present right now, and Morant himself hasn't signaled during his media interviews that he wants to be traded. In fact, he hinted at the opposite after his triumphant return in London.

All of these mixed signals make this situation hard to gauge, yet it should be known that Kleiman is never one to sell low on his players, and it's hard to imagine he would choose to do so now with Morant when there is no emerging, young talent ready to take over in Memphis as the face of the franchise.

The Heat and Sacramento Kings are among a few teams the Grizzlies have talked with about Morant in recent weeks, sources said. However, both teams are not willing to sacrifice valuable assets in a deal for Morant, viewing his situation similar to that of Trae Young 's when he was traded from the Hawks early in the new year.

Maybe the Pelicans would be a team with a level of interest in Morant, but they, too, wouldn't be interested in trading anything more than the contracts of Dejounte Murray or Jordan Poole, making this scenario highly unlikely.

Some have also speculated that the Warriors could look to get in the mix for Ja after Butler's injury and given Kuminga's drama with the organization, but team sources directly told ClutchPoints this is not something even being discussed.

It is also worth mentioning that the Houston Rockets , who have come up as a potential Morant trade suitor in rumors, hold no interest in the Grizzlies guard. Although the Rockets aren't interested in Morant, this organization has been gauging the trade market for backcourt upgrades.

Rival teams Houston has held dialogue with are under the impression that the Rockets are seeing what type of return a package of Dorian Finney-Smith and multiple second-round picks can get them at this year's trade deadline, sources said.

While it's unlikely this would net them a player like Coby White , who has been linked to the Rockets previously, other backcourt talents like Jose Alvarado , Ayo Dosunmu , and Scotty Pippen Jr. keep being named as targets for Houston by league personnel. As far as Pippen goes, the Grizzlies haven't given any indications they would move the 25-year-old guard.

The Rockets will not trade Fred VanVleet despite his ACL injury, and it is unlikely that the organization would make a move that puts breakout second-year guard Reed Sheppard into a lesser role.

Back to Morant — the Grizzlies understand the situation they are in. Kleiman and this front office are seeking ways to create more financial flexibility after extending Jaren Jackson Jr. on a long-term deal, and the idea of moving Morant makes this possible.

There are simply no answers right now on what Memphis has planned because of the indecisiveness that exists between members of the front office being split on Morant's future. This has put the Grizzlies in a very awkward situation this season, and this organization is stuck until there is a clear vision for Morant and Jackson.

Other notes and trade intel around NBA

Chicago Bulls : After multiple sources informed ClutchPoints of the Chicago Bulls' interest in Zion Williamson , Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported recently that the team held direct trade dialogue with the Pelicans about both Williamson and second-year center Yves Missi . League sources have since confirmed to ClutchPoints these conversations and the Bulls' interest in the former first overall pick. The Bulls are signaling that they will be making significant roster changes before this year's deadline, utilizing the expiring contracts of Nikola Vucevic , Kevin Huerter , Zach Collins , and sought-after guard Coby White in trade dialogue. Still, the Pelicans have remained firm on their stance to keep Zion … for now.

Minnesota Timberwolves : Everyone around the NBA knows that the Minnesota Timberwolves want to add a point guard , and they are heavily expected to make a move for a guard before Feb. 5. Who that will be is dependent on the market, as Rob Dillingham and Mike Conley are their only real trade assets at this point. Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Tre Jones from Chicago have all come up in connection to the Wolves recently, as has Kings guard Malik Monk . Tyus Jones and Collin Sexton are two other experienced guards league personnel have linked to Minnesota, although Charlotte has signaled that it would want value, either in the form of draft picks or a young prospect, for Sexton.

New Orleans Pelicans: Teams continue to make calls about Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones , and Zion Williamson , yet the Pelicans have not fully engaged in conversations about any of these three players. Whatever the Pelicans ultimately decide to do, they will not be taking back long-term money or crossing the tax line this season. Outside of these three players, the Pelicans have also received a lot of interest in Jose Alvarado, who is their most likely player to be dealt this season. The New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons are all said to have interest in the defensive-minded guard.

Orlando Magic: There has been talk as of late that the Orlando Magic are open to moving Tyus Jones, Goga Bitadze, and/or Jonathan Isaac before this season's trade deadline. Bitadze is an intriguing center who could fetch multiple second-round picks in a trade and free up salary for the 2026-27 season in the process. Orlando could move below the tax if it takes back less salary in a potential trade and could also do so while making a key secondary upgrade to make a real push in the playoffs this season. However, the Magic will enter the offseason with a major jump in payroll, so it's highly unlikely this organization would seek any players outside of those on expiring contracts.

Toronto Raptors: Eastern Conference rival front-office personnel continue to point to the Toronto Raptors as a team ready to strike. Domantas Sabonis and Anthony Davis have both been big names linked to Toronto, yet the Raptors are still lurking and seeing what aggressive moves will present themselves before the trade deadline. The Raptors are another team that has spoken with the Pelicans regarding Trey Murphy III and other players on their roster, so don't count out this organization finding a big upgrade this season. But no matter what, the Raptors seem set on dipping below the tax and adding another frontcourt talent amid Jakob Poeltl's lingering back problems.

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