During the 2021 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors selected Jonathan Kuminga with the seventh overall pick.
Although Kuminga has turned out to be a good player, his time with the Warriors has been marred by a trade demand, a cited lack of fit by head coach Steve Kerr, and a long-running contract dispute that has left Golden State in limbo during the 2025 offseason.
However, the Warriors' coaching staff knows this all could have been avoided, as they were pushing for Golden State to select a different player during the aforementioned draft.
Warriors Coaching Staff Wanted Franz Wagner Over Jonathan Kuminga
According to a new report from ESPN's Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, Golden State's coaches were pushing for the team to select Franz Wagner at No. 7 as opposed to Kuminga.
"Bob Myers was team president and [Mike] Dunleavy assistant general manager when they drafted Kuminga in 2021. They gave the collective green light, but Lacob was a driving force in the selection when others, including a few on the coaching staff, voiced a Franz Wagner preference, sources said," wrote Charania and Slater.
According to the NBA insiders, Warriors owner Joe Lacob was the one pushing hard for Kuminga, and it's hard to say no to the owner.
Franz Wagner, current Orlando Magic star, is an ascending young talent in the NBA. The German-native averaged a career high 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists last season and most likely would have made an All-NBA team if not for injuries that caused him to miss the 65-game threshold.
Wagner would've been a great fit in Golden State, as opposed to Kuminga; he doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective.
Had the Warriors selected Wagner, they certainly wouldn't be dealing with the current restricted free agency saga of Kuminga, and their future outlook would be a lot brighter.
Regardless, Wagner is in Orlando, and Kuminga, for now, remains in Golden State. However, it remains to be seen how much longer the former G League star will be a Warrior.