What will the Wolves do in Wednesday's NBA Draft?
As the Minnesota Timberwolves enter Wednesday's NBA Draft with the No. 1 overall pick, they find themselves in a unique situation. While the pick doesn't have the same franchise-changing top prospect as it did when the Wolves selected Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015, they do have plenty of options on what to do with the pick.
One of the most popular options is to trade the pick for assets. While an idea like acquiring Devin Booker is better reserved for NBA 2K21, the pursuit of assets to make a bigger deal down the road is not.
Although there isn't a consensus prospect at the top of the board, several teams will be looking to add a top-tier prospect to their roster. One of the more popular targets is guard LaMelo Ball.
The Timberwolves have reportedly traveled to California twice to hold an in-person workout with Ball, whose NBA prospects are enticing. Ball is a guard that is capable of contributing in multiple ways averaging 17 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game in 12 games for Illawarra in the NBL Australian league.
Ball's skill-set is somewhat redundant to current point guard D'Angelo Russell (except Russell can shoot and Ball isn't known as a shooter) but the two could work together with Russell shifting to the two-guard. That could free up Russell for more spot-up opportunities and mask Ball's 25 percent clip from three-point range.
A similar situation worked out with the Houston Rockets temporarily as Chris Paul and James Harden played in the same backcourt. The experiment didn't last for long, as Paul was eventually traded to Oklahoma City.
Dealing the top pick would give the Timberwolves several other assets to try and get a first-rounder in next year's draft (they traded theirs to Golden State to acquire Russell) or even move up into the lottery.
A report from The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor this past week suggests the Wolves could look for another lottery pick, dangling Jarrett Culver and the 17th overall pick to acquire the sixth overall pick.
This would make the Wolves' options even more interesting as they look to build a competitive roster quickly. Options here could include Iowa State's Tyrese Haliburton, Dayton's Obi Toppin, or, as O'Connor suggested, Florida State's Patrick Williams.
If they don't decide to trade the No. 1 overall pick, they could just take Ball or decide between guard Anthony Edwards and center James Wiseman.
Edwards is a player that many have at the top of the draft thanks to his ability to score. The Georgia product is a slasher who put up 19.1 points per game in his lone season with the Bulldogs, but also has issues with a 29.4% shooting percentage from beyond the arc. There are also questions about his defensive effort.
But Edwards is the best fit out of the top three options and doesn't seem worried about Minnesota's living conditions, saying, "I'm not going to play basketball in the snow."
Meanwhile, Wiseman is another intriguing prospect that can run the floor and give the Timberwolves more offensive ability. Wiseman played just three games for Memphis last season among eligibility issues but destroyed his competition averaging 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
Like most NBA players, there's an issue if Wiseman would be thrilled to come to Minnesota. An ESPN report said Wiseman has declined to meet with the Wolves and it would be interesting to see how the 7-foot-1 big man could be paired with 6-foot-11 Towns.
Whatever the Timberwolves decide to do, it will have long-term repercussions. President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas said the Wolves will draft the best player regardless of fit. As of now, it's a question of just who that player is.
