NBA Reporter Reveals the Reason Golden State Drafted Jonathan Kuminga over Franz Wagner

The story of the 2025 NBA off-season has been the drama surrounding Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors. Despite producing well in recent times, Kuminga seemingly doesn't feel wanted in Golden State, and with the team not wanting to give him a long-term extension, it has led to a never-ending contract standoff.

The driving force behind that standoff has been the principal owner of the Warriors, Joe Lacob, who has reportedly refused to include Kuminga in trade talks, while simultaneously not wanting to sign him long-term. Now, ESPN's Shams Charania has credited Lacob for another questionable move, as he was reportedly the reason the team chose Kuminga over Franz Wagner in 2021, a major mistake in hindsight.

“Lacob has been a central figure in Kuminga's NBA career since the beginning. Bob Myers was the team president and Dunleavy's 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.”

While Kuminga has been solid, averaging 16 to 15 points over the past two seasons, this drama has been an unnecessary headache in Golden State, one that could have been avoided by making a different draft decision.

The Warriors were happy with their choice at the time; however, given all this drama, with the option of hindsight, others in the organization may have pushed back a little more on this move.