Minnesota Timberwolves: Early Look at the 2021 NBA Draft

Evan Mobley, Big, USC

Evan Mobley is the next-best prospect in this draft, quite simply. He’s an incredibly talented big man that possesses very good rim protection ability with an advanced offensive game. Mobley is skilled and athletic enough to play either the power forward or center position and would be an excellent fit next to Towns.

The Timberwolves have, for the longest time, needed a player to go alongside Towns. From how things look right now, Jaden McDaniels could be that player. However, McDaniels should not stop Minnesota from selecting Mobley should they end up with the second overall pick – because as of right now – Cunningham and Mobley are the consensus first-and-second picks. Their talent is undeniable and both players are good enough to where fit does not matter when determining who to select – especially on a team as star-hungry as Minnesota.

The Ringer’s Jonathan Tjarks even made a case about selecting Mobley first overall:

"“Instead of getting played off the floor in the wrong matchup, he can force opponents to match up with him. The only NBA players who can do that are the ones exactly like him. And those players are almost impossible to find. Any team with the chance to select Mobley could regret passing on him, even at no. 1.”"

While I’m more hesitant to say he will be better than (or even as good as) Cade Cunningham, the talent speaks for itself. Mobley is likely going to be a solid NBA player from the jump.

If the Timberwolves land with the third overall pick (again, something that would be very fortunate), Minnesota will have their choice of three different players, assuming both Cunningham and Mobley are gone. The first of those players is Jalen Suggs, a Gonzaga combo-guard that has a well-rounded game.