NBA draft grades: Warriors nail Kuminga pick at No. 7 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The NBA draft is all about maximizing value, and that’s precisely what the Warriors accomplished with their selection of Jonathan Kuminga at No. 7 overall on Thursday night.
Kuminga, 18, arguably has as much upside as any prospect in the 2021 NBA Draft. Just months ago, the Warriors reportedly viewed him as being at or near the top of the draft class, which might very well be the best the league has seen in two decades. At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, Kuminga offers elite athleticism in a ready-made NBA body. He’s a proficient offensive creator and rebounder who can guard multiple positions and has all the tools to be a future All-NBA defender. At the seventh pick, it’s tough to find better value than that.
The main knock against Kuminga is that he is an unfinished project who is unlikely to have a significant role as a rookie. Considering Golden State’s current timeline, that might not seem to be the best fit. But, in fact, the opposite is true. In adding Kuminga, the Warriors simultaneously acquired a key piece of the franchise’s future, while improving their trade arsenal in the present. Either he helps them acquire a star in the near future, or they give him the time to develop into one.
Either way, that’s as good as the Warriors could have done with the options available at the seventh pick.