'This really isn't a debate': Why Cade Cunningham is expected to go No. 1 in NBA Draft
Jacob UnruhOklahoman
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton believes the runner-up in the NBA lottery has a tough decision.
Who should that team pick?
The G League’s Jalen Green or Jonathan Kuminga are strong options. So are college stars Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs.
Former Cowboys superstar Cade Cunningham won’t be available, at least in Boynton’s admittingly biased opinion.
“This really isn't a debate,” Boynton said. “He’s the best player and he can do anything you need him to. He’s clearly the best guy and he can play on the ball, off the ball, he can post up and he can shoot the 3. Like, come on …”
Boynton paused and laughed.
“The team at No. 2 has a problem. They gotta figure this thing out.”
With the NBA lottery set for Tuesday night, it’s becoming more and more clear that the winner of the lottery gets the ultimate prize: Cunningham.
Houston, Detroit and Orlando each have a 14% chance of winning the top pick. Oklahoma City and Cleveland have an 11.5% chance.
And no matter how it shakes out, Cunningham is currently atop mock drafts from USA Today, ESPN, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, Bleacher Report and others.
For a loaded class — especially with the top-five prospects — the gap between Cunningham and others is widening.
“Cunningham's versatility is a big reason he's the favorite to go No. 1 overall regardless of who ends up winning the lottery,” ESPN’s Mike Schmitz recently wrote.
Cunningham, a 6-foot-8 point guard with a wingspan of more than 7 feet, can play every position but center.
He did just that at OSU.
Cunningham averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He finished possessions from isolation. He shined in the pick-and-roll.
He was also a winner. He dominated in second halves, leading the Cowboys to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
“Simply put, Cunningham is capable in a wide range of roles, and thanks to his calm demeanor, late-game heroics and clutch gene, he still has quite a bit of upside to tap into,” Schmitz wrote.
There will be some debate until July 29.
Green might be the player who overtakes Cunningham for the top spot. Green is a dynamic athlete loaded with potential that NBA front offices covet.
USC’s Mobley is a 7-footer who can play on the perimeter. Gonzaga’s Suggs is tough and knows how to win. Kuminga is in line to become a star as a two-way player.
But none of them are Cunningham.
He can fit on any roster.
“If he was the best player and he was a center and you already had Shaq, well, now you maybe have to think, ‘Do I need two Shaqs?’” Boynton said. “Well the Spurs figured it out, right? You take (Tim) Duncan, too.”
Boynton has expressed that throughout the past year.
He had an up-close look at Cunningham few did last season, in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I wish more people would have gotten the chance to watch him,” Boynton said. “I feel fortunate. I’m not talking about the games. I got to be with that dude in practice every day and just be around him and listen to him talk hoops, because he loves basketball.”
Boynton said his phone rings more than it did three years ago.
Cunningham is the primary reason. All 30 NBA teams have contacted Boynton. The ones with no chance of winning the lottery are still doing their homework in case Cunningham looks for a change in a few years.
But all want to know about Cunningham away from basketball.
How hard he works. If he has bad habits. How he deals with adversity.
Boynton has nothing bad to say. That’s why he expects to be with Cunningham and his family next month when NBA commissioner Adam Silver calls Cunningham as the No. 1 overall pick.
“He’s checked all the boxes,” Boynton said.
NBA Draft Lottery
When: 7:30 p.m. TuesdayTV: ESPN (Cox 29)
OKC odds: 45.1% for a top-four pick and 11.5% for the No. 1 pick. The Thunder also owns the Houston Rockets' first-round pick if it falls outside the top four.
