San Francisco Chronicle

Golden opportunit­ies loom for Kuminga, Jessup

- By Connor Letourneau Connor Letourneau covers the Warriors for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: cletournea­u@ sfchronicl­e.com Twitter: @Con_Chron

As the Warriors’ front office looks to add difference­makers in free agency, a number of their young players hope to make an impression at Summer League.

Before its fivegame slate in Las Vegas, Golden State will play two games in Sacramento: Tuesday night against the Kings and Wednesday night against the Heat. Here are the five biggest questions facing the Warriors’ Summer League team:

Is Jonathan Kuminga closer to contributi­ng than some believe?

When the Warriors took Kuminga with the seventh pick in last week’s draft, they gambled on his longterm upside. His physical gifts suggest he has as high of a ceiling as anyone in his draft class — even if he might not be ready to crack an NBA rotation as a rookie.

But is that a guarantee? Is it possible that Kuminga is closer to being a helpful player than some realize? He already has an NBA body, and he was borderline dominant at times with G League Ignite at the G League bubble. As an 18yearold facing grown men in that bubble environmen­t, Kuminga totaled 66 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists in his first three games.

During Summer League, head coach Kris Weems will put Kuminga in a wide variety of situations to get a better grasp on all he can provide. His G League season lasted only 426 minutes. Given that he was mostly an isolation scorer with Ignite, the Warriors need to see how he looks off the ball.

If Kuminga is further along than the latter half of his G League season had indicated, Golden State might want to start identifyin­g opportunit­ies for him to get meaningful NBA minutes. Odds are that the Warriors want to keep their top10 pick out of the G League if they can help it.

Will Moses Moody prove to be a latelotter­y steal?

The Warriors were praised for taking Moody, considered a possibilit­y at No. 7, with the No. 14 pick. Some people, though, believe a lottery selection might’ve been a reach for Moody, who sometimes was a nonfactor for long stretches in

his lone season at Arkansas.

Summer League offers him a chance to show that he can slide into the Warriors’ rotation as a rookie. To do that, Moody must prove he’s a competent shotcreato­r and finisher.

As a freshman at Arkansas, he shot 42% from 2point range and 31% from 3point range in 21 games against teams with a winning record — a far cry from his 60% clip from 2point range and 43% clip from 3point range in 11 games against teams with a losing record. Moody, who made only 53% of his shots at the rim for the season, tended to struggle finishing against top defenses.

Though he is a solid shooter, he’ll need to avoid depending too heavily on his jump shot in the NBA. Summer League also provides an opportunit­y for Moody to show he can be a versatile defender at this level. In college, he relied more on size (6foot6, 205 pounds) and energy than physicalit­y or quickness to guard multiple positions.

How will Justinian Jessup look?

As the Warriors’ second unit toiled through rough offensive stretches last season, some fans found themselves cuing up

YouTube highlights of Jessup — the No. 51 pick in the 2020 NBA draft — with the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League. His catchandsh­oot ability could make him an ideal fit as a complement­ary player in Golden State’s readandrea­ct system.

But even though LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton went from the NBL to productive rookie seasons in the NBA, some scouts aren’t sure what role — if any — Jessup should occupy for the 202122 Warriors. His performanc­e at Summer League could offer some clarity. If Jessup impresses as a floorspaci­ng wing, the Warriors might

pencil him into the role Mychal Mulder held last season.

But if Jessup underwhelm­s, Golden State could let him spend another year developing overseas while it maintains his NBA rights. Odds are that, barring a disastrous showing or injury at Summer League, he’ll get at least a trainingca­mp invite with the Warriors.

Can Mychal Mulder and Gary Payton II make a case for a roster spot?

Four players who were on the Warriors last season — Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall, Mulder and Payton — are on Golden State’s Summer League roster. But according to a league source, Poole and Paschall are listed only because they plan to practice with the team. They don’t necessaril­y expect to play in games.

That same source said that Mulder and Payton anticipate playing at least a couple of games. Though much older than the typical player at Summer League, Mulder and Payton know that the coming days could help them stick in the NBA longterm.

When the Warriors waive forward Alen Smailagic later this week, they’ll have 15 of a maximum 17 players under

contract. This leaves little room for Mulder and Payton, both of whom are on nonguarant­eed deals, to make the 202122 roster — especially considerin­g that Golden State expects to sign at least a couple of players in free agency.

Mulder, a helpful rotation player last season, figures to receive at least a trainingca­mp invite. But $659,004 of Payton’s 202122 contract becomes guaranteed Aug. 11, which puts considerab­le pressure on him to maximize his first three Summer League games.

Who will compete for a twoway contract?

The Warriors finished last season with Nico Mannion and Jordan Bell as their two twowaycont­ract players. Now Mannion is a restricted free agent and Bell isn’t expected to be brought back.

It’s possible that Mannion’s strong showing with the Italian national team this summer could earn him a contract offer out of the Warriors’ price range. Even if he returns to Golden State, it’d likely again be on a twoway contract.

This raises a question: Whom do the Warriors eye with their remaining twoway contract or two? A few potential possibilit­ies are on the Summer League roster: Ryan Taylor, Eli Pemberton, JaQuori McLaughlin and Selom Mawugbe.

Taylor and Pemberton are both “3andD” wings, and Mawugbe is a traditiona­l shotblocki­ng big man. All three played for the Santa Cruz Warriors last season. Meanwhile, McLaughlin is an undrafted point guard fresh off earning Big West Player of the Year honors with UC Santa Barbara.

 ?? Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle ?? The Warriors plan to throw Jonathan Kuminga, the No. 7 pick in last week’s draft, into various situations in Summer League to see whether he’s ready to make immediate contributi­ons.
Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle The Warriors plan to throw Jonathan Kuminga, the No. 7 pick in last week’s draft, into various situations in Summer League to see whether he’s ready to make immediate contributi­ons.

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