The NBA Draft is less than 10 days away, and teams are eyeing specific prospects. Georgia's Asa Newell is one of the players that the Minnesota Timberwolves have brought in for a pre-draft workout. With the 17th overall pick, Newell is a possible target for the Wolves. The 6-foot-10 (with shoes) big man has an impressive two-way skill set and could bolster the Wolves' big man depth. Newell averaged 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 0.9 assists on 54.3/29.2/74.8 shooting splits in his lone college season. Let's dive into Newell's game and fit with the Wolves.
Newell's two-way impact
Newell is a two-way big man who uses his athleticism to make an impact on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he is an elite lob threat who thrives in the pick-and-roll. Impressively, Newell poured in 44 dunks at Georgia. Newell also scores on putbacks, cuts, and in transition. With a 72.9 field goal percentage at the rim, Newell is a highly efficient source of offense. As mentioned with Newell's putbacks, offensive rebounding is a strength; 3.3 of his 6.9 rebounds were offensive. Furthermore, he posted an offensive rebounding percentage of 14, which ranks fifth in the class.
Newell also showed flashes of a solid face-up game and self-creation abilities. While this isn't a clear strength yet, this part of Newell's game could develop further. Similarly, he shot 29.2 percent on 2.7 three-point attempts. Despite a lower percentage, Newell is a willing shooter with solid fundamentals. Overall, Newell's rim running abilities give him a solid floor offensively, while his ability to develop as a creator and floor spacer gives him upside.
At 6-foot-10, Asa Newell's size, mobility, aggressiveness, skill-level and intensity are significant assets that allowed him to have a highly productive, efficient freshman campaign. The 19-year old has strong potential to grow into long-term. https://t.co/nZR3hPeGI3 pic.twitter.com/ZPa0DWAu9k
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 9, 2025
Defensively, is where Newell's impact truly shines. He is highly mobile and switchable for his size. Newell offers solid rim protection as he averaged a block per game. Additionally, Newell is an active help-side defender, which contributes to his knack for shot blocking; he also grabbed a steal per game due to his off-ball abilities.
At the NBA level, Newell will mostly guard opposing fours and fives. However, he's capable of guarding bigger wings if need be and holds up nicely on switches against guards. Newell's reaction time, length, and athleticism are central to his versatile defensive impact.
Is Newell a realistic target for the Wolves?
With Naz Reid and Julius Randle having player options as well as Rudy Gobert aging, upgrading big man depth would be logical for the Wolves. Newell's athleticism, age, and ability to impact both ends of the floor make him an intriguing prospect for the Wolves. It seems likely that Reid and Randle will return. Still, Newell offers some insurance if one of them (likely Reid) finds a new home this summer. Being able to develop behind Gobert would be ideal for Newell.
Currently, Newell is projected to be a late lottery to mid-first-round pick, making him an attainable target for the Wolves. If he's available at pick 17, the Timberwolves will certainly consider taking him. The fact that Minnesota has brought Newell in for a workout shows a clear interest level.