PHOENIX – Facing a roomful of reporters, live-streamers and cameras at the Mortgage Matchup Center hours after Thursday’s trade deadline, Warriors coach Steve Kerr expressed regret for how things turned out. The Warriors faced Jonathan Kuminga.
On Wednesday night, the Warriors agreed to a deal The Hawks sent Kuminga and Buddy Hield to The Hawks traded for Kristaps Porzingis.
No draft picks were involved in the trade that was officially announced Thursday afternoon. It marked the end of Kuminga’s four and a half years with the Warriors.
“I hope he can take what he’s learned from his experience, the ups and downs, the good and the bad, and transfer it to his next opportunity and seize that opportunity, whatever that means and whatever the circumstances are,” Kerr said.
While he showed flashes of being a difference-maker on the wing after being drafted at No. 7 in 2021, the 23-year-old has never been able to fill his starting spot with the Warriors.
Part of that had to do with the team’s unwillingness to let Kuminga, who entered the NBA at 18 years old with only one year of G-League experience, make the kinds of mistakes he had to make as a youngster.
Kerr admitted that Kuminga was not ready for him, and said that the coach and the officials should blame the way the situation escalated.
“Organizationally, the right path for us and him, it’s always been difficult to walk, and we all share in that, myself included,” Kerr said. “There’s no question that he was put in a tough spot coming into a championship team as a rookie, a team that was still trying to compete at a high level, and he came here with very little experience. It’s a difficult thing to reconcile, and I wish I had done a better job of making that happen.”
While Kerr expressed regret at how Kuminga’s tenure went and ended, he was optimistic about the new addition to the team.
Porzingis has long been one of the NBA’s best centers, shooting 36.6% from 3-point range while being an elite defender.
While his health — Porzingis has played in just 17 games this season — will always be a concern for the 7-foot-2 man, Kerr believes he can be an impact player for the Warriors.
“He’s an established player, the kind of player we’ve been looking for for years,” said Kerr. “I don’t think we would have made the trade if we didn’t think he could be healthy and consistent on the roster.”
Kerr said he hopes Porzingis will join the team on Saturday when they play the Lakers, but he doesn’t expect him to face LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
With Porzingis’ major deal — and the trade that sent Trayce Jackson-Davis to Toronto for an expected second-round pick — the Warriors (27-24) can now continue the season, which Kerr still sees ending with deep playoff contention despite Jimmy Butler’s torn ACL.
“I’m not going to sit here and lie and say we can behave like we did with Jimmy, there’s no way,” said Kerr. “But I believe in these guys, I believe in chemistry, and I believe in old leadership. If we’re healthy, I think we can make a good push and be a playoff team, and if you’re a playoff team, you never know how it plays out.”
However, Kerr said that while some players may feel relieved that the deadline has passed, the team’s mood during Thursday morning’s shootaround was one of sadness. Both Hield and Trayce Jackson-Davis were beloved presences in the locker room.
“That’s one of the weirdest things about this job, is that you get close to someone, and you’re literally with them every day, every day for a season, maybe two or three years or more, and then all of a sudden, it’s (over),” Kerr said.
Steph Curry injury update
Steph Curry is still dealing with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (runner’s knee), and the injury kept him out of Thursday’s game against the Suns and his longtime nemesis Dillon Brooks.
De’Anthony Melton appeared doubtful with a sore left knee — the same knee he tore his ACL in in 2024 — but Kerr said the combo guard will be available against Phoenix.
The Suns were without star Devin Booker, who was diagnosed with a sprained right ankle, and NorCal native Jalen Green (hamstring/hip) was also out.
Jimmy Butler’s surgery day
Minutes before Thursday’s shootaround, the Warriors announced Butler would undergo ACL surgery in Los Angeles on Feb. 9.
Dr. Bert R. Mandelbaumbased in Santa Monica, will operate on Butler, who tore his ACL on Jan. 19 against the Miami Heat.
In 38 starts, Butler averaged 20 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
