3 prospects the Cavaliers have to avoid in the NBA Draft

1. The Cavaliers can’t gamble on Jonathan Kuminga

As much as any prospect in the upper lottery, Jonathan Kuminga looks like a project. He has an incredible athletic profile and it’s easy to imagine him as a dominant combo forward, winning with strength or speed depending on the matchup at either end of the floor. But he’s still a long ways away from figuring out how to turn his tools into meaningful production. With the G League Ignite team last season, Kuminga shot 38.7 percent from the floor and 24.6 percent from beyond the 3-point line with nearly as many turnovers (34) as assists (35). He made some highlight defensive plays but his steals and blocks combined (24) also fell way short of his turnovers.

He often looked over his head in the G League which tells you there is a steep learning curve ahead for him. The Cavaliers certainly have time to be patient with a prospect, they’re probably not a playoff team next season. But the risk of Kuminga far outweighs the reward, especially when there are so many other, better and more reliable prospects available.