Warriors’ Jimmy Butler makes promise to ‘brother’ Jonathan Kuminga amid trade rumors, DNPs

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Warriors’ Jimmy Butler makes promise to ‘brother’ Jonathan Kuminga amid trade rumors, DNPs

Kenzo Fukuda, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sun, Jan 4, 2026 ·

4 min read

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Warriors' Jimmy Butler makes promise to 'brother' Jonathan Kuminga amid trade rumors, DNPs appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

SAN FRANCISCO – Amid trade rumors and DNPs, it just feels like the Jonathan Kuminga saga is barreling towards yet another inflection point.

In the Golden State Warriors ' 123-114 win over the Utah Jazz , Kuminga suffered his 10th DNP-CD in the last 12 games. With the young forward on the outskirts of the Dubs' rotation and his Jan. 15 trade restriction expiration date quickly approaching, we're nearing what seems like the end of what has been a turbulent relationship.

But during these tumultuous times, Jimmy Butler continues to stand by Kuminga. In the locker room after the win over the Jazz, Butler talked about his relationship with Kuminga, which appears to be as strong as ever.

"He better come to my house tonight, eat dinner, play some Uno or some dominoes," Butler smiled .

"That's my brother. I [couldn't] care less if he's out of the rotation. We hang out. That's my friend; that's my brother. That's not going to change. Basketball is basketball. I love him like a brother now. I wish him the best. And I still see him here getting his work in, so his mind's right."

Jimmy Butler has made it a point to be a leader for Jonathan Kuminga

Since joining Golden State in a blockbuster trade at the deadline last season, Butler has taken the 23-year-old under his wing. Whether it has been working with him after practice or having him over for dinner after games, Butler has become Kuminga's vet both on and off the court.

"I feel like in this league he's one of the people who's actually been in my shoes throughout their career," Kuminga said earlier this season . "Knows what I've been going through. What I've been through."

And early into the season, it looked like that mentorship was translating into real success. The Warriors got off to a strong 4-1 start to the season, with Kuminga in the starting lineup next to Butler. It looked like Kuminga made the leap Golden State envisioned. He was doing all the little things Steve Kerr had asked of him like rebounding, complementing the stars off the ball, defending at a high level and running the floor.

But then the Warriors began to slump, and Kuminga's fit grew clunky. He was sidelined for eight games with bilateral knee tendinitis, and when he returned, the magic from earlier in the season had evaporated. Which takes us to where we are now. With less than two weeks until Kuminga becomes trade-eligible, his future is at a crossroads.

But for Butler, that uncertainty doesn't concern him.

"That don't got nothing to do with me," Butler said. "Because I'm still going to call and check in on him, still going to visit him, still go to his house, eat his food, play with his kids. His future, that's between him and whoever else. But the bond and the brotherhood that we've built, no future will ever change if that's my guy."

What may change for Kuminga in the near future is the scenery. ClutchPoints' NBA insider Brett Siegel reported that the Warriors are "working on several angles" to move Kuminga before the deadline. Being in trade rumors is a hard thing to process for an NBA player, let alone a player as young as Kuminga. But regardless of the circumstances, Butler doesn't think the situation is weighing on the 23-year-old.

"Nope. Not at all," Butler said. "I tell JK, 'You be the pro of all pros. Come here and get your work done. You smile, have a good time because you're still an NBA player. You're one of the best people in the world, and I'm not even talking about basketball. So you keep smiling, you keep doing what you're doing."

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