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Minnesota Timberwolves: 1st pick makes Malik Beasley expendable

ByDylan Jackson|
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - FEBRUARY 08: Malik Beasley #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves pumps up the crowd during the first half of the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Target Center on February 8, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - FEBRUARY 08: Malik Beasley #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves pumps up the crowd during the first half of the game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Target Center on February 8, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

The NBA recently held its draft lottery which saw the Minnesota Timberwolves obtain the first overall pick.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in an interesting spot this offseason. Before the trade deadline, the Wolves essentially reset the entirety of their roster. In fact, the only players that remain from the 2018-19 roster are Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Okogie.

One of the main pieces brought in to surround Towns was Malik Beasley, who was previously on the Denver Nuggets. For Minnesota, Beasley averaged over 20 points per game in 14 appearances.

Beasley has been the main conversation in terms of questions that need to be answered this offseason for the franchise. On one hand, he has shown incredible promise and looks to be a cornerstone of any franchise, however Beasley has an extremely small sample size considering the amount of money he may command this offseason.

The Timberwolves were awarded the first overall pick on August 20th, and the presumed first overall selection is currently Georgia wing Anthony Edwards, who plays roughly the same position as Beasley.

Edwards is a very high-level scorer. He can score in isolation, off-the-dribble, get to the rim against anyone, and has a decent jump-shot as well. This likely means that Beasley is going to be coming off of the bench again, should the Timberwolves decide to go with Edwards, as currently expected.

There’s nothing wrong with Beasley being a sixth man, either. He has lots of talent and would fit that role very well. Gersson Rosas loves shooting, and Beasley brings a lot of it. Being a restricted free agent, he is actually one of the biggest names in a free agency class that is considerably weaker than it usually would be – and losing one of the players you obtained in exchange for Robert Covington is another downside.

Finding players to complement Towns and Russell is going to be a tough task for Rosas, and Beasley certainly brings a lot to the table. However, with the acquisition of the first overall pick, the Timberwolves have more flexibility than they otherwise would, and should evaluate their situation carefully.

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