During the 2026 playoffs, OG Anunoby firmly cemented himself as one of, if not the, greatest role players in the entire league. He might never be an All-Star, but he plays his role to the highest standard, and the New York Knicks don't win the NBA championship without his contributions.
Jonathan Kuminga is nowhere near Anunoby as a player right now, especially on the defensive end and as a threat from three. But he has all of the athletic tools and natural basketball ability to where he could transform into a variant.
This is probably Kuminga's best path to earning a lucrative long-term contract, and if he's able to buy into that role and the Wolves are subsequently able to sign him to a longer deal, then he'll be another young piece to a potential championship-caliber core for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
During an interview with Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, Britt Robson brought up this OG comparison, and Finch agreed.
"Yeah, absolutely. Like, why not? And as he continues to mature and develop and all these things, he’ll become a better shooter," Finch said after Robson threw out Kuminga becoming an Anunoby-type player.
Why OG Anunoby the perfect blueprint for Jonathan Kuminga
Last season, the Knicks were a machine. They put together one of the most dominant playoff runs in recent history, and Anunoby was in the running for Finals MVP when it ended. He wasn't the star of the team, or even the second option, but he defended at a high level every night and hit nearly every timely shot.
Kuminga has the tools to be this level of defender if he stays engaged, and while he may not get to an Anunoby level of 3-point shooting, if he's able to open the floor for the rest of the team, the Wolves will be ten times more dangerous.
Arguably, the most important thing about Anunoby's game that Kuminga should take away is that Anunoby never veers outside of his role. There are some nights when Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, or even Mikal Bridges or Josh Hart have it rolling on offense, and Anunoby doesn't get in their way.
He is perfectly fine not shooting a lot of shots in a game, and the other aspects of his game won't take a dip either. He'll still defend and rebound positionally at a high level while providing the spacing the scorers need.
Then there are other nights where maybe the Knicks scorers don't have it going, and Anunoby has to go out and get them 25 points. He's certainly capable. This needs to be Kuminga's role in Minnesota. He needs to be okay with deferring to Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, or anyone else who has the hot hand, while also knowing that there will be instances where the Wolves will need him to be a volume scorer.
During those times when he's not scoring, though, that's when he needs to find ways to impact the game. That's what Anunoby does, and he signed a five-year, $212 million extension. Not necessarily an All-Star, but a star in his role, and he got paid like one. That's ultimately what Kuminga wants, right? This blueprint is how he gets there.
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