Let’s look at five potential trades for the Minnesota Timberwolves involving the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
One question has been answered so far this offseason after the Minnesota Timberwolves won the NBA Draft Lottery.
That opens the door to a whole host of additional questions, most important of which is what to do with the No. 1 pick.
Gersan Rosas has hinted at the pick’s availability, which brings to question what could the Timberwolves realistically trade for?
Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell are each entering their sixth seasons and both are have already been All-Stars. This team is poised to fight for a playoff spot and is not in the place to take another young piece and wait for them to develop.
With the lack of star power in this year’s draft, it stands to reason that Rosas is looking to move the top pick for an established starter that can fit seamlessly into the Timberwolves starting lineup.
In almost any other year, that would be an easy enough task. The No. 1 pick has immense value, and teams that are locked in on a top-three guy are willing to open up the bank to secure their player.
Part of what makes this year challenging is that the Warriors are also reportedly looking to trade the No. 2 for an established starter. In essence, the trade market is getting smaller, further complicating things.
In taking a look at the teams that are in need of making a big offseason splash, are looking for direction, or trying to find a franchise cornerstone, here are five possible trade scenarios for the Timberwolves to trade away the No. 1 pick.
Fair warning: Devin Booker is not included in any of these trades. While it would be great to bring him to Minnesota, after his bubble performance and the team’s success Orlando, it’s hard to see Minnesota being able to pry him away from Phoenix this offseason. Give it another year, and who knows what could happen.
Let’s take a look at trade number 1, with the Charlotte Hornets.