Top-ranked basketball recruit Jonathan Kuminga opts for G League over college
The G League has acquired its fifth commitment from a high school basketball recruit, and this might be the biggest addition yet.
Jonathan Kuminga — a 6-foot-8 forward from Congo who recently graduated from a New Jersey high school — revealed Wednesday night that he will join the NBA developmental league’s new preps-to-pros program, picking the G League over scholarship offers from several major colleges.
Kuminga has long been considered the No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2021, finishing this past season with the top ranking in that group from Rivals.com, 247Sports and ESPN. Last month, his high school announced that he had graduated this spring following long-standing speculation that he would ultimately move to the 2020 class.
Kentucky extended a scholarship offer to Kuminga early last year — he was the first class of 2021 player to land a UK offer — and the Wildcats made the star prospect’s list of college finalists, alongside Auburn, Duke and Texas Tech, where his older brother plays. A move straight to the pros has been expected, however, and Kuminga gives the G League another five-star building block for its new developmental program, which has been revamped to pay players higher salaries straight out of high school while they train up to the following year’s NBA Draft through exhibition games and instruction from professional coaches.
Jalen Green — the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2020 class — was the first major addition to the G League’s new program. Green is expected to earn a salary in the $500,000 range with additional room for endorsement deals that should net him well into the seven figures this coming season. Five-star point guard Daishen Nix, five-star power forward Isaiah Todd, and four-star center Kai Sotto have also agreed to six-figure deals with the G League.
It was recently announced that Brian Shaw, an NBA veteran with more than a decade of coaching experience in the league, would be the head coach of the G League Select Team.
Kuminga could end up being its most talented addition. He averaged 22.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on the Nike circuit last past spring and summer, cementing his status as the No. 1 player in the 2021 class.
ESPN ranks him as the nation’s No. 4 overall recruit now that he’s making the move to the 2020 class, and ESPN’s draft analysts have him projected as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, though his versatile skill set makes him a potential No. 1 pick a year from now.
