Cavs: Jonathan Kuminga “in the mix” for Cleveland at No. 3 despite glaring issues

The Cavs are scheduling a workout for Jonathan Kuminga.

The Cavs appear to be high on Jonathan Kuminga, the NBA prospect who played for the NBA-G League team the Ignite during the 2020-2021 season. Kuminga is an 18-year-old prospect (turning 19 in October) from the Republic of Kongo. He’s also apparently getting a private workout with the Cavs according to Chris Fedor. The Cavs attended his pro-day in Chicago and liked him so much that he’s getting a private audience with the Cavaliers. Fedor wrote that some in the NBA believe Kuminga won’t fall past five in the 2021 NBA Draft.

As for the Cavaliers? Fedor had this to say;

"Sources say Kuminga is in the No. 3 mix, with the organization believing that particular draft slot isn’t too high for him."

Kuminga averaged 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals while playing next to Jalen Green, who also was a member of team Ignite.

 Jonathan Kuminga doesn’t seem to fix the issues the Cavs have

On paper, Kuminga is a nice prospect. He’s 6’6, 210lbs small forward, with a good ability to score inside. The Cavaliers already have that in Isaac Okoro. What they need is scoring help, especially from shooters.

Kuminga can’t shoot. While his per-games paint one picture, his shooting percentages paint another. As a wing player, you need someone to shoot and if Ben Simmons has taught people anything, it’s that if they can’t shoot by now, they won’t start shooting in the pros. Kuminga shot just 39% from the floor and 25% from three-point.

Considering the lack of scoring was a huge issue for the Cavs in 2020-2021, most notably the lack of three-point scoring, drafting Kuminga makes very little sense. The Cavs need to focus on solving their issues and not adding to them.

The Cavaliers have no real three-point threat with Darius Garland and Kevin Love being the best of a lot of bad options. That’s why the choice should be Jalen Suggs at number three, as he’s a far better shooter.