On the night of the 2019 NBA Draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves moved up to draft Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver, which is now official.
The Minnesota Timberwolves made the decision to move up in the 2019 NBA Draft in order to select Jarrett Culver out of Texas Tech. To do this, they had to acquire the No. 6 overall pick.
As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, they traded the No. 11 overall pick along with forward Dario Saric for the No. 6 overall pick from the Phoenix Suns.
Minnesota has traded No. 11 and Dario Saric to Phoenix for the No. 6 pick in the draft, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2019
Overall, even with the potential that Dario Saric brings to the table, they felt moving up to take a player of Culver’s caliber was worth the move. Culver had been rumored to be taken as early as fourth overall in the draft, going to show the type of player he could be.
While these draft night trades take a while to officially go through, Timberwolves fans everywhere were excited to have selected a player with so much potential. As of today, the trade officially went through, finally making Culver a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1147563303138254849
In his final season at Texas Tech, Culver averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals. He was among the country’s elite players at both ends of the floor. Not only can he score at a high level, but he also projects to be a solid defender at the NBA level.
With uncertainty on the future of Andrew Wiggins in Minnesota, Culver could ultimately fill his role if he were to be traded away. At just 20 years old, Culver will have the opportunity to play significant minutes for the Timberwolves, even as a rookie.
While it is unclear whether we will have the opportunity to see Culver in summer league, now that the trade has gone through, it is at least an option for him. Even without the summer league experience, a full offseason with the team will be great for Jarrett Culver in getting comfortable with Minnesota’s system and practicing with his new teammates.
Soon enough, we will know if trading away Saric will pay off in moving up to acquire Culver. At minimum, he should be a quality 3-and-D player for Minnesota for many years to come.