The Minnesota Timberwolves are likely exploring trade options with the first overall pick.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were awarded the first overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft a few months ago. Another team that jumped in the lottery was the Charlotte Hornets, who currently own the 3rd overall pick.
The Hornets are a team that has been stuck in purgatory over the course of the past several years. After Kemba Walker’s departure, they need more talent, and one franchise player in particular. In this draft, it seems as though most consider there to be two top prospects: LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards.
With the Warriors reportedly “blown away” with Deni Avdija, it might be likely that the Hornets are able to snag one of the two guards with the third overall selection. Still, though, that might not preclude them from making an offer for the first pick should they value one much more than another.
For the Timberwolves, this would be an opportunity to make a Celtics-76ers-2017-Draft type trade, where Boston moved down two spots and still selected Jayson Tatum, in addition to acquiring a 2019 Kings first-round pick.
While for Minnesota the compensation would likely carry less value than an additional lottery pick, the Hornets have an interesting group of young players that they may be willing to part with in order to make a deal happen at the top of the draft.
Most notably, Miles Bridges would be an intriguing fit at either forward spot, as he averaged 13 points, six rebounds, and two assists on splits of 42/33/81.
Bridges is not the best prospect in the NBA, but he has a lot of upside as a high-level rotation player and could be more than enough for a trade to happen between the two teams (as well as swapping picks, of course).
There has not been many rumors about trade options with the 2020 NBA Draft simply because it is much weaker than most years. Still, though, the first overall pick has an immense amount of value and the Timberwolves have to hit on whichever pick they have if they would like to make a run for the playoffs in 2020-21.