5. Ray Allen for Stephon Marbury seemed good at the moment
It's no secret the Wolves were huge fans of Stephon Marbury. Minnesota seemingly planned to replicate the Karl Malone-John Stockton duo with Garnett and Marbury. Prior to the draft, the Wolves agreed to trade for Milwaukee's third pick in exchange for the fifth overall pick and a 1998 first-rounder.
Typically, moving up two draft slots doesn't require a near-future first-rounder. However, Minnesota's infatuation with Marbury destroyed the franchise's trade leverage. The Wolves agreed to draft Allen (who ended up being a 10-time All-Star) and swap the marksman with Marbury (who twice made the All-Star team).
Despite Marbury narrowly missing out on Rookie of the Year, his career didn't progress as expected. He peaked in his mid-20s while suiting up for the New Jersey Nets. Conversely, Allen earned his first All-Star nod as a 24-year-old and his last at 34.
Like Laettner, Marbury's attitude cut his time short in Minnesota. Although his on-court production was near All-Star level, he played second-fiddle to franchise cornerstone Garnett. And when Garnett received his league-altering six-year $126 million deal, Marbury expected a similar contract. While the budding superstar received his contract before the infamous 1999 NBA lockout, Marbury had to wait until after to put the pen to paper. But Marbury's deal was capped by the new CBA, forcing tensions to build.
The former Georgia Tech star requested a trade and was shipped out during the 1999 season. Allen on the other hand remained a Buck until a deal sent him to Seattle in 2002. Perhaps if Minnesota had instead drafted Allen—the pairing of Garnett and the UConn sharpshooter would've blossomed into one of the best in the association.