Golden State Warriors: 5 options for pick No. 7 in 2021 NBA Draft

Golden State Warriors options for pick No. 7: 5. Jonathan Kuminga, F, G League Ignite

For most of the past year, there has been a clear-cut “Top 5” of prospects for the 2021 NBA Draft. Four of those five are likely to be the first four picks of the draft on Thursday: Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs.

The fifth member of that original five has begun sliding down some draft boards. Jonathan Kuminga is one of the youngest players in this class, and combined with his relatively late start at basketball is one of the draft’s more raw prospects. He spent last year with the G League Ignite, and while he absolutely showed flashes of ability he also struggled with the physicality of the league as a string-bean 18-year-old.

Kuminga is a very good athlete, with strength and power in his movements and jumps, and excellent body control as well. While he needs to add weight he profiles as a good finisher. Out on the perimeter, his shot mechanics look good, but he didn’t translate that into hitting shots in the G League.

Defensively Kuminga’s athleticism and wingspan (over seven feet) set him up for success, but he doesn’t have the instincts on that end yet. He was pushed around in the G League, commonly out of position and reacted a beat slower than he needed to in many situations. This is where his lack of experience comes into play, as he just hasn’t accumulated the number of reps necessary to excel in this area.

The upside is real, and he could absolutely put things together and be an All-Star five years down the road. Can the Warriors wait that long, tying up the asset and the draft slot? If Kuminga drops to seven, do the Warriors take best-player-available and worry about it later? It’s a hard call, but in the end, the Warriors need this asset to help next season; if they take Kuminga, it may be to keep the value of that pick high in order to flip him in a trade.