Minnesota Timberwolves: Five players to target if Wolves trade back

If top-tier forward prospects such as Sekou Doumboya, Gonzaga’s Brandon Clarke, Kentucky’s PJ Washington are taken before the Minnesota Timberwolves’ pick, they could look to move back in the draft.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are slated to make the No. 11 selection in next week’s 2019 NBA Draft, which is shaping up to be one of the more unpredictable drafts in recent memory.

Unfortunately, this could result in the Wolves missing out on prospects that would fill a team need and be significant day-one contributors. Three such prospects are French forward Sekou Doumbouya, Gonzaga senior power forward Brandon Clarke and sophomore forward P.J. Washington out of Kentucky.

Doumbouya is the youngest prospect in the 2019 NBA Draft and he just might end up being a top-three player in the class.

At 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds, he bears a lot of similarity to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Pascal Siakam at this stage of his career, but Sekou is more highly touted than either young star was entering the draft. The Frenchman has eye-opening athleticism, authoritative finishing ability, a fluid jumper that will make defenses respect him at the next level, and the potential to be a super versatile player on both ends.

While he does not have a respectable 3-point shot, Clarke would be a big addition for the Wolves. He is a Swiss Army knife on defense and would add much-needed defensive versatility to a team that struggled on the defensive end last season.

Clarke can defend all five positions, has great instincts as a shot-blocker (3.1 blocks per game in the 2018-19 season), has incredible lateral agility, is a solid rebounder, and plays harder than just about anyone else on the court. Given his work ethic, it would be surprising if he did not develop an effective 3-point shot throughout his career

Washington projects to be an effective offensive player as a small-ball 4 in the NBA. P.J. displayed improvements as a shooter and a defender during his sophomore campaign for John Calipari’s Kentucky squad.

He scored 15.2 points per game and shot 42.3 percent from beyond the arc this past season for the Wildcats, which was a big improvement from averaging 10.8 points per game and 23.8 percent on 3-point attempts as a freshman. He stands 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, which should help him get into passing lanes and disrupt shot attempts at the next level.

However, if all three prospects are off the board at No. 11, Gersson Rosas and the front office should look to trade back, rather than reach for a prospect just to fit a team need.

First, let’s take a look at the five players Minnesota should target if they decide to trade back.