Minnesota Timberwolves: Draft targets if Wolves trade into second round

As the final piece of the D’Angelo Russell trade from the 2020 trade deadline, the Minnesota Timberwolves currently do not possess a pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Of course, this does not entirely preclude the Wolves from being active on draft night; they could very well be involved via the trade market. Minnesota has reportedly already shown interest in multiple players, including Myles Turner and Ben Simmons.

Gersson Rosas is one of the most active GMs in the NBA, so the possibility of the Wolves acquiring a 2021 second-round pick is quite real. The Wolves are pressed against the cap, and the second round is a great place to find cost-effective players.

Rosas and Sachin Gupta are no strangers to finding effective players in the second round and beyond in order to get team-friendly deals; Naz Reid and Jaylen Nowell are prime examples of this.

Jarrett Culver is a likely trade candidate that could also theoretically land the Wolves a second-round pick as part of a trade package.

The narrative around the 2021 draft is that it is a top-heavy class. However, history shows us that every draft has handful of players that fall into the second round that end up being productive NBA players.

If the Timberwolves end up needing low-cost help for their second unit, this year’s second round projects to have some intriguing prospects that could make a difference. After finishing with the sixth-worst record in the NBA, the Wolves have a multitude of needs to address this offseason, including shooting, interior defense, perimeter defense, and veteran leadership.

Let’s take a look at some projected second-rounders that the Wolves should consider trading into the second round for.