#2 Jonathan Kuminga – Forward – G-League
The No. 2 and No. 1 ranked guys on this list are very interchangeable, but the only reason Jonathan Kuminga finds himself at No. 2 on this list is because he will likely be taken 5th overall by the Orlando Magic, one spot ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 6th overall pick. Not a lot of people know about Kuminga and his skill-level because he decided to skip playing college basketball and was one of the young talents to come straight out of high school into the NBA G-League.
Standing about 6’8”, Jonathan Kuminga has the length and versatility to either play on the wing or in the low-post against smaller defenders and alongside Jalen Green, his teammate on the G-League Ignite, Kuminga may be one of the best pure athletes in this draft class.
With almost a 7-foot wingspan, Jonathan Kuminga has all the tools to be an elite-level two-way player on the wing and with his insane leaping abilities, he is a guy that will put many people on posters at the next level. Offensively, Kuminga looks to use his athleticism and ball-handling skills to drive to the rim and oftentimes does not look to shoot from deep.
Normally, as soon as Kuminga catches the ball, he is looking to attack his opponents and get the ball in the paint, where he shoots the ball at an extremely high percentage. With all the confidence in the world in himself and his athletic abilities, Jonathan Kuminga is the best forward prospect in this year’s draft class and the Magic would be foolish to pass up on him.
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We talked about the Thunder looking to draft the best available, which would be Kuminga if he is available, but he also fits a need for them at the small-forward position. With both his and Bazley’s length and the forward positions, the Thunder could create an extremely versatile pair that could easily turn into major two-way threats in this league.
At just 18-years-old and being one of the youngest players in this year’s draft class, Kuminga will be entering the league as a very raw prospect, which is fine because the Thunder have time to devote to player development.
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In time, this organization wants to get back to the NBA Finals and having a long-term, high-potential guy like Jonathan Kuminga definitely gives them a building block for a potential championship contending team.
Kuminga has All-Star potential and is being defined as a franchise-altering player right now, which is why he should definitely be the Oklahoma City Thunder’s pick should he be available at 6th overall. However, the Magic are expected to draft the young wing should he be on the board at 5th overall, so if Oklahoma City really wants him, they will have to find a way to jump in front of the Magic in this year’s draft.
