Several coaches on the Golden State Warriors reportedly preferred drafting Orlando Magic star Franz Wagner over Jonathan Kuminga in 2021.
According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania, Warriors governor Joe Lacob preferred drafting Kuminga instead of the young German.
Lacob has been a central figure in Kuminga’s NBA career since the beginning,” the NBA insiders wrote in a report published on September 15.
“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.
While Kuminga may still prove Labob right, the Warriors seemingly erred by not taking Wagner, who is on the fast track to superstardom in the NBA.
Wagner Shows Out in EuroBasket
In the 2024-25 season, Wagner averaged a career high 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists, while also playing stellar defense on the wings. The German forward would have likely made an All-NBA Team if not for an injury that prevented him from meeting the threshold of 65 regular-season games. Furthermore, he was on track to make his first All-Star team before being ruled out indefinitely with a torn right oblique.
Wagner followed up his career-best NBA season with another impressive performance on the global stage, helping Germany win the EuroBasket 2025 championship. The two-way forward averaged an impressive 20.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists during the tournament, and was named to the EuroBasket 20245 All-Star five, next to Germany captain Dennis Schroder, Turkey’s Alperen Sengun, Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic.
Warriors, Kuminga in Limbo
Surely, Wagner’s star-making performance must have stung the Warriors coaches who preferred drafting him over Kuminga in 2021.
With just a few weeks left until training camp, the Warriors and Kuminga remain in limbo in talks over a new contract. According to ESPN, the Warriors recently offered Kuminga a three-year, $75 million deal, including a team option in the final year, which he declined. According to multiple insiders, Kuminga’s camp has insisted on receiving a player option so he can control his immediate NBA future.
Kuminga has until the Oct. 1 deadline to either sign a one-year, $8 million qualifying offer or accept Golden State’s three-year deal. The latter would allow him to test free agency in 2026, but will also come with significant financial drawbacks.
“The decision to sign it [the QO] could very well play out up to the Oct. 1 deadline unless either side caves,” wrote Slater and Charania.
“The financial drawbacks are straightforward. Kuminga would be turning down as much as $15.3 million extra next season and risking a career spiral that never allows him to recoup that money. It has become an extension league and Kuminga would be declining a larger set salary number to extend off into his next deal.”
Warriors Nearly Drafted Budding Superstar Over Kuminga in 2021