Preview: Hey, at least the Warriors aren't the Kings

The grass isn't always greener; Dubs struggles put in perspective after huge win over Bucks

The Golden State Warriors are coming in red hot off their last win, a massive blowout… well, okay, seven points, but it was a huge win for a team that isn’t quite sure how relevant they still are in a league that has gotten younger and quicker.

Tonight, the Warriors continue their nice home-heavy schedule in the first month of 2026, hosting the struggling Sacramento Kings - a team frequently linked to Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga via the rumor mill. While Kuminga is not expected to play, tonight’s game will be an excellent opportunity to lay eyes on some of the potential new returns that might come back should a trade happen.

On the injury front, the Warriors have upgraded Gary Payton to Probable as he continues to progress from that rolled ankle that kept him out of the last game. And for the Kings? Whew. This is what made me change my initial headline… let’s just quickly cut to our friends at the Kings Herald:

The season from hell continues for the Sacramento Kings as news broke earlier today that Keegan Murray will miss at least 3-4 weeks with an ankle injury. Domantas Sabonis remains out, but at least Zach LaVine is back? The Mavericks are still without Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively, and P.J. Washington.

In addition to the injuries that continue to pile up for the Kings, half their roster is also drowning in trade rumors, and the result is an on-court product that is extremely hard to watch. It feels like the entire organization is just treading water until the February 5th trade deadline. At least we have Maxime Raynaud to watch.

It’s unclear who will get the start for Murray tonight. It’s also unclear why Peacock didn’t do everything in their power to flex this game out of the national TV spot.

Oof. Bless the Kangz fans. A more robust bunch cannot be found anywhere in the league. And I am very thankful that the Warriors escaped the doom loop of bad franchises.

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GAME DETAILS

WHO: Golden State Warriors (20-18) vs Sacramento Kings (8-29)

WHEN: Friday, January 9th, 2026; 7pm PST

WATCH: NBCSBA

Blog Buddy: Kings Herald

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They aren’t elite, but the Warriors are good - even as currently constructed

There’s a trade coming for the Warriors, but in the meantime, they are playing with a self-imposed lack of depth. Kuminga (11% of the team’s salary) and Buddy Hield (4.5% of the team’s salary) are chilling on the bench. The supposition is that Kuminga has almost certainly played his final game in a Warriors uniform, maybe Hield gets back on the court, maybe not, but regardless, Golden State has one eye on this upcoming trade window.

As previously mentioned, that’s over 15% of the total, just chilling off the court. These NBA teams have to be extremely mindful of how they allocate their salary, and the Warriors are losing the long-term war right now. Two of the teams most cherished opportunities - a rare #2 and solid #7 - draft opportunities are on the verge of being fully squandered. Unless the Warriors can salvage some sort of value in trade for Kuminga, a raw, but certainly interesting young player.

Golden State would ideally like to bring in a big wing player, or even a center. The preference would almost certainly be a wing. Not a Durant or Thompson replacement, but someone that can slot into the Kerr playbook to fill some of the roles that those players used to fill. Michael Porter Jr., Trey Murphy, or players on the near edge of that spectrum like Herb Jones could be in play; or maybe the Warriors go for someone like Jerami Grant. None of those players are pencilled in as superstars though, and every single transaction comes with complications.

Importantly, the Warriors are liking what they see from some of their bargain bin players. Pat Spencer and Brandin Podziemski have emerged as Kerr’s backup point guard rotation. Sure, they struggle with consistency, and make sacrifices in regards to size, but it’s fine (more or less). The center position looks much more solid these days, with Green playing as matchups and rotations allow, backed up by a surprisingly well-rounded and impactful Quinten Post. Whether it’s a short-term fluke or not, his year-over-year-improvement as a post (ha ha) player is remarkable - the largest leap in the league!

Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton may have made a slow arrival this season, but both have recently shown exactly how critical they can be to the Warriors’ success. Melton’s 22 points in the win over the Bucks was the second-highest on the team, trailing only Curry (31 points, 7 assists).

But the Warriors’ problem is that they are mediocre, even at whatever version of full strength they have played at. Every now and then, flashes of something more appear, but that’s simply not good enough for a roster that has Stephen Curry on it.

This is the connective tissue between all of it - the injuries, the rotations, the stalled development, the trade rumors, the frustration. The Warriors aren’t lost, but they’re not progressing either. They’re suspended in a narrow band where competence keeps them competitive and caution keeps them static. Every decision feels provisional, every lineup slightly temporary, every game a reminder that standing still in this league is its own kind of regression.

In my opinion¹ the biggest problem Kerr has with Kuminga is that there’s a better role-specific option for every single aspect of Kuminga’s game. Butler covers most of that. Though the veteran has frequently vocalized support for Kuminga, both on and off the court, it’s hard to hide from the fact that his arrival has made Kuminga’s contributions superfluous. Kerr is dripping with basketball knowledge and his fingers are wrapped with credentials, so it’s hard to question whether or not those tier two rotation minutes are really better off being allocated to Kuminga over someone like Gui Santos (who, by the way, costs tens of millions of dollars less than Kuminga).

But the margins are thin. Damn thin. And if there’s anything at all the Golden State can do to improve this season’s roster, they owe it to Curry to pull the trigger. But those trade waters are murkier than a Wendy’s frosty.²

The nuclear option is that the Warriors could yet again walk away from the trade market, keep Kuminga, and just have Kerr apologize, or keep acting weird so that trade partners can write this whole thing off as some sort of personality quirk or coaching blind spot. One way or the other, the Warriors still don’t seem to be finding a particularly fecund trade market for their vaunted first round draft pick - a player who has looked impressive as recently as the 12-3 streak which opened this current season.
Via Anthony Slater (emphasis mine):

There have been plenty of conversations -- the Kings remain the most interested suitor. Team sources have said in recent days that they'd be willing to keep Kuminga past the deadline if nothing appealing enough materializes. That could be a strategic posture and it's certainly a risk, considering Kuminga -- making $22.5 million this season -- is currently buried in coach Steve Kerr's rotation, having played 10 total minutes in the past month. -- Slater

I mean…maybe the team holds on to Kuminga. Maybe, as my manager wildly suggested today, they hold onto him with the quiet promise that Kerr will be gone this offseason, but I doubt it.³

Less than one week remains until the trade window opens for Kuminga, and in the meantime, the Warriors are going to have to fumble along with the mostly completed picture of a roster that they have in place now. It was good enough to beat the Bucks, and the Warriors are managing to hover on the edge of relevance. Just get a shot in the playoffs is the mantra, and that’s not bad for a Golden State team that is intentionally sitting $30 million on the bench each night.

It’s not exactly all great in Golden State, but it could be much worse.

Prediction

Who was that one hater that wanted me to predict a loss? Well, good news… tonight is not your night. Warriors don’t just win, they win big.

1. Don’t listen to me. I have absolutely no insider knowledge.

2. Mrs. Punk Basketball, much to my surprise, doesn’t like frostys? She loves dessert, and milkshakes, and shitty fast food… “too malty”

3. Refer to footnote 1.