Minnesota landed the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft... and that may not be the best thing for them.
Getting the top pick is not a bad thing. But this season, for this team, it presents challenges. This draft does not have a true superstar — Zion Williamson or Ja Morant of last year — at the top of the board. Then there are fit issues with the best players. LaMelo Ball overlaps skill sets and needs the ball like D’Angelo Russell. Anthony Edwards is not going to play better than Malik Beasley did for the Timberwolves last season. The bigger problem is Minnesota’s defense is already suspect with Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns, and both Ball and Edwards are terrible on that end of the floor. James Wiseman overlaps with Towns. None of the top guys fit.
So why not trade out? Timberwolves president Gersson Rosas told NBC Sports’ Tom Haberstroh he would consider it last week on Haberstroh’s podcast.
https://art19.com/shows/the-habershow/episodes/bb825751-e720-4ba9-a61a-976835a397a1
Other GMs already expected the same thing, reports Sam Vecenie at The Athletic.
The questions become: What can Rosas get for the pick, and is it enough to make the trade worthwhile? What the Timberwolves need is one GM to fall in love with a player (most likely Ball, he has the highest upside... we’re looking at you, Knicks) and be willing to trade up to make sure they get their man. Rosas would gladly take a future high first-rounder for the top pick this year, or he could move down in the draft and stockpile picks.
If no trade is out there, Rosas will take the top player on their draft board and call it a day. One way or another, the Timberwolves will add talent this offseason. The bigger question is, will that talent fit.