Cavs 2021 NBA Draft: How Jonathan Kuminga would fit in with CLE
By Corey Casey
The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently projected to have a top five pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and Jonathan Kuminga is seemingly a consensus top five pick. With that mind, he’s a prospect that’d appear to likely be in the mix for the Cavs, too, the way things are shaking out.
The Cavs currently are slotted to pick fourth and are tied for having the fourth-best lottery odds at 11.5 percent with the Orlando Magic at the moment, per Tankathon. In relation to that, Jonathan Kuminga seems to again be a near-consensus top five pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
And with that in mind, Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham is pretty much a lock at one, while it’d appear that Evan Mobley of USC is probably a good bet to go two, while Kuminga could realistically go as high as #3 and at worst goes #5.
As we’ve seen the last two years, though, the lottery odds are unpredictable, so it’s unknown how the final lottery standings will end up. Again, the Cavaliers are currently tied with the Magic for those odds for landing #1, so we’ll have to see, anyhow.
Regardless of what plays out, this is one of the strongest drafts in a long time and the top 5 in this draft is as strong as any in recent memory. This draft is still Cade and everyone else, however, if the Cavs get at least in the top four, they should find themselves in a pretty good position.
Again there’s no guarantee Cleveland finishes fourth, where they’re projected currently. But if they end up fourth and Cunningham, Mobley and Kuminga’s G League Ignite teammate, Jalen Green, who looks to be a ready-made three-level scorer, are the first three picks, perhaps, I believe the Cavs have a relatively easy decision.
I’m not as high on Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs, for example, as I am on the other likely top four prospects.
There’s a big talent drop-off after the top four-to-five, and I’d think taking Kuminga would be a simple decision.
In that sort of scenario, if the Cavs do end up drafting Kuminga, here, we’ll demonstrate how he would fit in with them going forward.
We’ll get into that next, beginning with the really high ceiling the current 18-year-old has.