We did not need anyone from Golden State to tell us this. It is plainly obvious. The Warriors are clinging to a winning record (23-19) and a berth in the Western Conference's play-in tournament. They are a good team, but even head coach Steve Kerr recognizes they are not the perennial contender they once were.

"We are a fading dynasty," Kerr said around Christmas. "We know that. Everybody knows that."

He later added, "I don't want anyone to think we're disillusioned, and we're thinking, 'We should compete for titles year in and year out with San Antonio and Oklahoma City the next few years.' It's not realistic."

You know what the Warriors could use? A 6-foot-7, 225-pound uber-athletic 23-year-old lottery pick. They could use Kuminga, who has averaged 20.2 points per 36 minutes on 50.2% shooting in a five-year career.

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The reasons to play Kuminga are many, especially if they have wanted to trade Kuminga's $22.5 million expiring salary, as they have for the entire season. Why not showcase his talent for all the league to see?

Except, Golden State does not showcase him. Which begs the question: Does he have the talent?

It seems clear that he does. We have seen Kuminga score as many as 34 points in a game and average close to 20 for extended stretches. He has the size, length and athleticism to become a solid defender. Except, he cannot score with great consistency, and he rarely does the little things necessary to help the Warriors win games, though he is averaging more rebounds and assists per outing this season than ever.

As the Warriors took a 1-0 lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a second-round series last season, Golden State superstar Stephen Curry suffered a hamstring strain. Kerr turned to Kuminga, who had rarely played to that point in the playoffs. He answered the call, averaging 24.3 points on 55/39/72 shooting splits for the remainder of a best-of-seven set. Unfortunately, the Warriors lost four straight.

Which raises another question: Is Kuminga a winning basketball player?

That much we do not know. With Kuminga in the starting lineup, the Warriors started 4-1, looking very much like the contender that finished last season. Over the next seven games, as they finished 2-5, falling back to .500, Kuminga was a combined -56, and Kerr pulled him from the starting lineup. He finished scoreless in a -10 effort off the bench in the ensuing game and was pulled from the rotation entirely.

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Golden State is 9.2 points per 100 meaningful possessions better when Kuminga is off the court this season, according to Cleaning the Glass. It was 3.5 points per 100 possessions better last season.

What is clear: The Warriors no longer believe in Kuminga. They tried to trade him last season to no avail. They engaged in a prolonged contract negotiation over the summer, when they did not want to commit long-term salary to their No. 7 overall selection in 2021. Instead, Kuminga signed a short-term deal, including a $24.3 million team option for next season, that was supposed to make him easier to trade.

And here we are. On Thursday, Kuminga's new contract became trade-eligible, so he simultaneously demanded a trade from the Warriors. It did not take Golden State by surprise. This was always the plan.

Having watched this theater unfold before them over the past year, the rest of the league's 29 teams must now decide: If the Warriors do not want him, then why should we? And it is a good question to ask.

After all, what player, other than Kevin Durant, has gone on to great success after leaving the Warriors? Even Durant has not been able to find a similar level of success as to what he enjoyed in Golden State.

It should be easy to thrive in the Warriors' system. Curry's gravity has allowed countless players to thrive, including Andrew Wiggins, who won a title playing the role that Golden State would like Kuminga to fulfill.

The Warriors gave up on Wiggins in the end, too, and look how that turned out for him.

Which brings to mind Kelly Oubre Jr. He arrived in Golden State for the 2020-21 season having averaged similar numbers to Kuminga through his first five seasons. The Warriors had high hopes, starting him for the majority of the year, but they gave up on him after a single season. They were 11.7 points per 100 possessions better without Oubre in the lineup, so they let him walk at the end of his rookie contract.

Nobody was going to trade anything of value for Oubre then, just as no one may be willing to part with much of significance for Kuminga. That does not mean Kuminga and Oubre are not good at basketball.

Upon leaving the Warriors, Oubre signed a two-year $25 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets, and they failed to make the playoffs in either of those seasons. He has since inked for the mini mid-level exception with the Philadelphia 76ers, for whom he has forged a role as a bit player on the fringiest of contenders.

And maybe that is Kuminga's destiny. That is for him to determine, not us. But ...

Determination: Fact. Jonathan Kuminga is a good basketball player, as all replacement-level NBA players are, and he has value in the exact right situation. What that situation is, exactly, is yet another question.