Minnesota Timberwolves: What if one-and-done didn’t exist
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and are expected to either select between a handful of players or trade the pick altogether.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are lucky to be in a position which they own the first overall pick. They have various options currently open, including selecting a top player this year: either Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball.
The NBA has recently been making advancements towards possibly ending the one-and-done rule, which currently forces players to do something between their final year of high school and their first year as an NBA basketball player: whether it be at a college/university, overseas, or through the G-League’s new pro pathway.
The current holdup among the players and the league executives (as well as the board of governors) is that they want something in return for allowing players to go right to the NBA. More specifically, they want full access to potential draftees medical records – something that agents currently have the power to bar or grant, thus giving each player more of a say in terms of what team may possibly draft them.
However, if this rule did not exist this current offseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves would be in an even more advantageous position.
In 2020, there are no standout-guaranteed-all-star type talents. There is no Zion Williamson, Ben Simmons, or LeBron James in this draft class. There is, however, such a player in the 2021 NBA Draft class, Cade Cunningham.
Cunningham is the most electric guard at the top of the draft since Kyrie Irving. He is a 6-foot-8 pass-first guard that has elite athleticism, defensive potential, and a drastically improved shot over the course of the past few months. Currently, he looks to be the undisputed top prospect in next years draft, with Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Evan Mobley.
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The Timberwolves, adding Cunningham, would absolutely have their third star, alongside Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell. He is expected to be one of the most pro-ready prospects in years, and has been one of the highest praised high school players since his junior season at Monteverde Academy in Florida.