5 players the Timberwolves should trade up for in the 2018 NBA Draft

5. Shai Gilgeous Alexander, PG

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t expected to go so high in this year’s draft, but all of that changed late in the season. He was a non-starter until a lineup change and ever since then he ran away with it and became the main focal point of the Kentucky Wildcats.

That means looking like the best player on a talented Kentucky roster. He could even go ahead of Kevin Knox – a player we’ll get too eventually. Gilgeous-Alexander will need to drastically fill in his body if he wants to go up against some of the physical NBA players. He’s only 180 pounds and stands in at 6’6″.

Despite being really small, he can finish quite well at the rim. Using his lengthier body,Gilgeous-Alexander can fill out the stat sheet and score from anywhere on the floor. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.5 blocks and 1.6 steals.

He even shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range, but only averaged 1.5 attempts per game. We’d like to see that number increase as the years go on, but seeing a good success rate when he does shoot is a good sign.

Above is a good look at what he can be at the next level. Gilgeous-Alexander has a ton of potential and he’s a Canadian player and that can relate well with Andrew Wiggins moving forward.

He’d fit well in Minnesota because he can score, play-make, rebound and play defense. He’s the perfect answer but would take a little more time to develop because he’s still very raw.