Jonathan Kuminga joining 2021 NBA Draft class is great for Warriors

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The Warriors aren't included in the Orlando bubble, reportedly don't have interest in participating in the still-to-be-confirmed Chicago bubble and likely won't play in another game until sometime in 2021 at the earliest.

And yet, Wednesday was a great day for Golden State.

That's because Jonathan Kuminga, who previously was ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2021 class, reclassified to the 2020 high school class Wednesday and will sign in the NBA's pro pathway program in the G League. The Athletic's Shams Charania was the first to report.

What does that have to do with the Warriors? Well, a lot can change between now and then, but it's not out of the realm of possibility that Golden State could select Kuminga in the very early stages of the 2021 NBA Draft.

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The Warriors, of course, received the Minnesota Timberwolves' top-three protected 2021 first-round draft pick as part of the Andrew Wiggins-D'Angelo Russell trade. If the Timberwolves' pick ends up being one of the first three overall selections, the pick conveys to the 2022 NBA Draft and becomes unprotected.

The 2021 draft class has long been viewed as far more talented than the upcoming 2020 draft class, for which the Dubs are guaranteed to have a top-five pick. Assuming the T-Wolves don't surprise and become a playoff team, the Warriors could have an extremely valuable selection in a loaded draft.

It just became more loaded Wednesday with Kuminga's inclusion.

Since the earliest the Warriors could pick in the 2021 draft with the Timberwolves' selection would be No. 4 overall, the more high-end prospects that join the class, the more likely Golden State is to have one of them fall in its laps. Kuminga, along with Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Evan Mobley are widely viewed as can't-miss prospects, and obviously, they can't all go within the top three.

[RELATED: How Jalen Green to G League impacts Warriors, 2021 draft]

So, if the Warriors end up holding onto Minnesota's 2021 first-rounder, it would appear they are in a tremendous position to add a prospect that undoubtedly would have gone first overall in the upcoming 2020 draft. And if they don't, but rather include it in some sort of a trade package to acquire an established star, the value of that pick just went up.

The Warriors are intent on returning to championship-contender status while simultaneously building for the future. Kuminga's reclassification can only improve their chances of being successful in that endeavor. 

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