The Minnesota Timberwolves have the No. 20 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. But, what could they get if they traded up? Here’s a look at 5 players they should trade up for.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the 20th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. This is their only pick in the draft, as the Atlanta Hawks own the Wolves’ 19th pick due to the deal that sent Adreian Payne to Minnesota in 2015.
That trade didn’t work out the way they’d like it to go, but what’s in the past is in the past. If you don’t recall, they own the Oklahoma City Thunder’s pick because of the trade that sent Ricky Rubio to the Utah Jazz last summer, and even though we miss Ricky, this is a solid pick to have.
This year’s draft is very impressive and it could be better than last years. There are players that are going in the second round and if it wasn’t for such a deep class, they could be first rounders. Luckily they’ll have a second round pick as well and that should be a very valuable pick.
If Minnesota wanted to find a better player, they’ll need to trade up. What they do to trade up is a whole conversation for a later date. Right now, we’re going to look at players that they should trade up to get.
They desperately need wings that are 3-and-D players. The backup plan behind that is another big man that can come in and replace Karl-Anthony Towns when he needs rest, or to move Towns to the four. It would be a lot easier if last years first round pick Justin Patton wasn’t hurt all season, which again, is another story.
With all that in mind, here’s a look at five players the Wolves should consider to move up for in this years 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.
Collin Sexton, PG
Personally, I bleieve that Collin Sexton is the best point guard in the draft. He’s got an all around game that Trae Young doesn’t have. Sexton is obviously not as good offensively as Young – but not many players are.
Sexton could become the Wolves future point guard and that’s something Minnesota has been looking for for years. He has a similar game to point guard Eric Bledsoe.
Both are more physical guards and have the athleticism to get to the rim. A lot of his points come from around the rim and through traffic. He has the potential to shoot from three, but that’s not his best part of his game.
He shot 33.6 percent from 3-point range on four attempts per game. The potential is ther,e but that won’t ever be his game as long as he still has the burst to get to the rim and play physical. He was by far Alabama’s best player and was a key reason they were able to win many games and get to Round 32 in the March Madness tournament.
Sexton averaged 19.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He will need to work on getting others involved, but he will have more talent around him to do so than he did at Alabama.
As you can see, a good majority of his offensive game comes from driving to the rim or putting shots up in traffic. His shot selection would likely have to change in the NBA because players are better defenders and more physical, but there isn’t a large amount that needs fixing.
If he can become a better shooter, he should be a nice option for Minnesota for years to come.
3. Miles Bridges, F
Miles Bridges is an all-around player. The one main concern from him is what position does he play? Bridges stands in at 6′-7″ and 225 pounds. He has the size to play small forward and power forward, but he may get beat by faster small forwards or bigger power forwards.
That’s something teams will have to figure out once he gets into the NBA. I’m sure the sophomore from Michigan State will be able to figure things out. Bridges is a freakish athlete and will get to the rim and either lay it up or slam it home with brute force.
In these highlights you can see that he can live above the rim and get a lot of points that way. He can also shoot the ball. That’s not his best suit, but he can knock it down with ease and it should only get better with time.
He shot the ball at 36.4 percent from three on 5.7 attempts per game. Seeing those numbers proves that he’s not great yet, but he has the potential to become a great shooter over time.
He’s a guy you want shooting the ball with the game on the line, and he can guard multiple positions and fill out the stat sheet.
He averaged 17.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.6 steals. Expect him to continue to fill out the stat sheet and play solid defense in the NBA. His athleticism and ability to make shots should prove to make him a solid NBA player.
2. Kevin Knox, SF
After what looked like being a top-10 pick for Kevin Knox, a poor end of the season may have landed him just outside of the lottery selection. That isn’t something to fear, that just makes things easier for Minnesota to grab him.
The smaller the jump up the draft board means that they won’t have to give up so much to get him. If he only goes four picks higher, it shouldn’t be as difficult to come in and grab him.
Knox has the playstyle that you see out of players like Paul George and some of those explosive-shooting small forwards. He’s 6′-9″ and 215 pounds – he’ll need to add more muscle but the length is something to drool over if he’s on your team.
Knox is an explosive player that can get to the rim and slam it home or lay it in. He also has the ability to shoot the ball from three as well. He shot it 34.5 percent from three on 4.5 attempts per game.
One thing he needs to work on is finding ways to affect the game if his shot isn’t falling. Something we saw out of him was fading out of games when he can’t get his shot to go. He’ll need to find ways to stay in the game or keep his confidence going if he wants to be successful.
He can play defense with his length as well, but it should only get better as time goes on. He did average 0.3 blocks and 0.8 steals. The potential is off the charts and he was the No.10 prospect coming out of high school. If it wasn’t because of a slow end of the season and an emergence from Gilgeous-Alexander, we may have seen him in the top-10.
1. Mikal Bridges, SF
This one will probably be the hardest one to try and trade up for because he’s such a highly praised prospect. He should be going top-10 and that means you’d likely have to give away a pretty big haul in return. Is it worth it? Probably… depending on what you give up though.
Bridges has a similar game to superstar Kawhi Leonard. Bridges may be the best two-way player in the draft and that’s something that everyone is looking for in today’s game.
He was an absolute beast on the defensive end, averaging 1.1 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. He could be in contention of defensive player of the year at some point in his career.
That’s not even the best part either. He’s an offensive star as well. He can score the ball with ease and shoot the ball from 3-point range too. He averaged 17.7 points per game and shot the ball 43.5 percent from three on six attempts per contest.
Bridges can become a two-way star and that’s something the Wolves need desperately. He has the type of potential to become one of the best players in the league because of that.
He understands how to win games as well. He played three years at Villanova and even won a championship with them last year. His experience and understanding how to win is just a cherry on top of the sundae.
Next: Rebuilding the Timberwolves -- again
All of these players are people that can help Minnesota win games in the future and for years to come. It may be hard to get some of them because of what you’d have to give up in return. But in the long run it may be worth it.