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On the day of the 2021 Draft, NBA rumors have emerged that the Golden State Warriors are hoping to use their No.7 overall pick on former G League Ignite player Jonathan Kuminga. With two lottery picks on the night, the Warriors are in a great position to improve their future trajectory by selecting exciting prospects or those who can be utilized in a trade later in the offseason.
Kuminga has consistently been touted to be picked in the top-10, with some rating him as high as being a top-5 prospect. In a shortened G-League season, he averaged 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and a steal per game.
There have been NBA rumors suggesting the Golden State Warriors may package their two picks in the hope of trading for a star or starting-caliber player. However, with less than 12 hours to go before the Draft, that appears exceedingly unlikely.
The latest reports are instead stating that the franchise is 'leaning toward' acquiring Kuminga with their seventh pick, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Connor Letourneau's sources.
NBA Rumors: Golden State Warriors targeting high upside option in Jonathan Kuminga
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kuminga moved to the United States in 2016 to play basketball and was a consensus five-star recruit and the best small forward in the 2020 class after finishing high school. Instead of joining Duke, Kentucky or Texas Tech, the 18-year-old bypassed college to play for the NBA G-League Ignite.
His strengths currently are his speed as both a driver and a cutter from the wing and thrives in transition. He is ideally built for his position at 6'8" and has the potential to be brilliant at getting into the paint in the NBA. As one of the youngest recruits in the draft, Kuminga still has a lot to work on, including his ball-handling skills and defense.
While still a raw talent, he has immense upside though, and could be drafted as high as No.5. His upside is what the Golden State Warriors are looking for in their draft selection, not only for themselves, but in case they want to form a trade in the coming weeks.
A prospect such as Jonathan Kuminga and what he could develop into would be perfect for the Washington Wizards' full-scale rebuild if Bradley Beal did want a trade in the coming hours, or indeed weeks.
When it was initially rumored that the three-time All-Star could demand a trade out of Washington, the Golden State Warriors were among the teams who could negotiate a deal that would suit both sides.
As well as a draft selectee such as Jonathan Kuminga, they also have their No.14 pick, which Letourneau reports they want to use on a 'plug-and-play' player such as Chris Duarte, Trey Murphy or Corey Kispert.
Combining both selections with last year's No.2 pick, James Wiseman, and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors have an extremely enticing assortment of trade chips. Not to mention any future picks they could offer.
If they decide not to trade Kuminga or whomever they draft at No.7, the Golden State Warriors will still have a very promising young talent on their books. While it may not help them in the short-term as they hope to maximize the time left with their championship-winning core, the front office will still have one eye toward the future.
Either way, having two lottery picks puts the Golden State Warriors in an enviable position going into Thursday night's event.
