A Way Too Early Look at the Timberwolves’ 2016 Draft
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Mar 28, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; McDonalds High School All American athlete Malik Newman (14) poses for pictures during portrait day at the Westin Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Out of the players we’ve discussed, Malik Newman appears to be the best fit.
If Martin is traded and LaVine assumes the starting shooting guard spot, Newman could be part of a solid bench unit that would likely still include Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng.
Poeltl and Dunn will probably also be available when the Wolves pick next year, but would be redundant for this team based on the current roster. Poeltl wouldn’t be a huge upgrade over Dieng. And even if Dunn is a better shooter than Rubio, Ricky’s passing and control of the team still makes him more valuable.
There’s a small chance that Jaylen Brown and Jamal Murray could be there for the Wolves. Their ceilings seem to be outrageously high right now, but we’ll see how they fare against solid college competition first.
Of course, we still have an entire season to be played, which means that there are still players that will turn out to be busts and others that will live the dream and carry their team deep into March Madness.
Projecting this far into the future is more or less just an educated guess, but with the Wolves unlikely to make the playoffs this season, it’s fun looking at what new players could contribute when the Wolves get legitimately good in a few years.
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