Golden State Warriors coaching staff members strongly advocated for selecting Franz Wagner over Jonathan Kuminga with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, but owner Joe Lacob pushed for his preferred option, according to team sources.
A group of coaches attended Wagner’s predraft workout and emerged convinced he would be an ideal fit in Steve Kerr’s system. Wagner went to the Orlando Magic at No. 8 and has averaged at least 20 points per game over the past three seasons and is now on a max contract as the team’s franchise cornerstone along with Paolo Banchero.
Lacob and then-general manager Bob Myers visited Kuminga in Miami six days before the draft. Then-assistant coach Kenny Atkinson ran the workout and maintained strong belief in Kuminga through his final days with the organization before departing for the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job in 2024.
When both prospects remained available at No. 7, Lacob advocated for Kuminga while Myers and Mike Dunleavy, then an assistant general manager, did not object, team sources said.
“Bob and I have felt for several years that we’ve needed physicality,” Lacob stated that night. “Athleticism and physicality. That’s what really excites me about him.”
The decision became a central tension point across the organization over subsequent years. Team sources described it as a signature example of Lacob’s personnel involvement in the post-Kevin Durant transition period, prioritizing style over substance.
Kerr was not a major part of the draft process. He was with Team USA preparing for the Tokyo Olympics that summer and received only occasional reports from afar without forming a firm opinion on Kuminga.
The Warriors worked out more than 70 prospects during the predraft process. They possessed two lottery picks after receiving the selection from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the D’Angelo Russell trade for Andrew Wiggins.
Team sources theorized that Lacob’s public support for Kuminga and animated celebrations of his big moments stemmed from desire to validate his original assessment. Those sources believed this connection made it difficult for Lacob to include Kuminga in potential trades.
Golden State traded Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis last week, ending his five-season tenure with the franchise.