All sports fans have played that game where you get $15 and have to put together a team while staying under the cap. It’s a fun exercise, almost like a general manager jigsaw puzzle, and it can often say a lot not only about how players are perceived, but what their true value is.
Advertisement
Paul George played this game on the latest Podcast P episode, and the results were pretty telling on his ability to be a GM.
George was asked to put together a team of NBA players aged 22 and under, all of whom were priced between $2 and $5. With just that $15 to spend, he had to make some tough decisions on his starting five.
PG went with a no-brainer to begin with, taking Spurs star Victor Wembanyama for $5. Even with other options like Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Alperen Sengun available, taking a guy who’s the highest-rated prospect since LeBron James is something that anyone would have done.
Then came the hard part. George had four slots left to fill and only $10 with which to do it, but he quickly jumped to Jonathan Kuminga with his next pick for $2.
His explanation had to do with Kuminga’s two-way ability, and the marked improvement in his game since his rookie season. “Jonathan Kuminga for $2 is a steal. I’ve always been a fan of his game and he has continued to get better. I love his aggression on both ends,” he remarked.
The team was rounded out by Amen Thompson for $4 and Stephon Castle and Cason Wallace for $2 apiece.
Honestly, George nailed this exercise. He ended up with an uber-athletic group of rapidly improving two-way players that would be a nightmare for any team to go against.
Jonathan Kuminga was nearly traded for Paul George
The Warriors and Clippers reportedly spoke about a trade involving George and Kuminga this past offseason, but couldn’t come to terms because Golden State was unwilling to let Kuminga go.
That’s certainly looked like the right decision, as George has had a rough go of it in his first season with the 76ers. Kuminga, on the other hand, is arguably the Warriors’ second-most important player behind Steph Curry, even after the team traded for Jimmy Butler at the deadline.
The G-League Ignite product was on a tear before suffering a significant ankle sprain against the Grizzlies in early January.
Kuminga averaged 21 points per game in December, well above his career average, and seemed to be making the leap from “promising prospect” to “franchise cornerstone” while giving Warriors fans hope that the infamous “two timelines” approach still had a chance to work.
The 22-year-old is due for a contract extension this summer. Though he’ll be a restricted free agent because he and the Warriors didn’t agree to a deal before the October deadline, Warriors owner Joe Lacob has said that the team is “100 percent” committed to re-signing him.
Assuming he picks up where he left off before his injury, he’s in line to command a payday that will be a bit more lucrative than the $2 that George paid to get him.
