The Golden State Warriors could have had a big-three had they drafted Franz Wagner in 2021.
Warriors’ front office wanted Franz Wagner in 2021
Per The Dunk Central, many Golden State front office heads were high on Wagner over Jonathan Kuminga in that year’s draft, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
Golden State picked Kuminga with the No. 7 overall pick. Wagner went No. 8 to the Orlando Magic.
Orlando has established a strong duo with Wagner next to former All-Star Paolo Banchero. Meanwhile, the Dubs have seen flashes of brilliance from their G League Ignite product, though not to Wagner’s level.
Warriors: Wagner a better fit than Kuminga?
By and large, Wagner has performed better than Kuminga. The 22-year-old’s career-high of 16.1 points per game in 2023-24 falls short of Wagner’s 18.6 PPG or better in his three-year prime.
More so, the Michigan product has proven himself to be a much more well-rounded ball-handler than Kuminga, as well as a shot-maker. Nevertheless, Golden State has the better career three-point shooter at 33.2 percent, than Wagner’s 32.2 percent.
Thus, Orlando’s 6-10 vanguard could have been the combo forward that the Warriors have needed as their third high-scorer. No matter, Kuminga’s game has shown that he can score more than 20 PPG once he reaches his peak. Whether that’s within the Warriors’ lineup remains to be seen.
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