Timberwolves 'Have an Open Mind' About Trading No. 1 Pick, Says Gersson Rosas
August 21, 2020
Having won the 2020 NBA draft lottery, the Minnesota Timberwolves might be willing to deal the No. 1 overall pick.
"We have an open mind as we go through all of this," said president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, per The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski. "We want to do what's best for this organization. And it means being thorough, being diligent and looking at every option. Draft, trade, free agency, whatever the case may be."
Unlike last year, when Zion Williamson was the clear choice for the New Orleans Pelicans, there isn't an obvious path for the Timberwolves.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Minnesota to select Georgia star Anthony Edwards, who averaged 19.1 points in his lone season with the Bulldogs. Edwards is a natural scorer who would fit alongside D'Angelo Russell in the backcourt.
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie also mocked Edwards to the Wolves but added one worry surrounding the 19-year-old is "the way he approaches the game," calling it "very casual for a guy who profiles as a potential option at No. 1 overall."
That probably isn't reassuring for a fanbase that watched Andrew Wiggins failed to make the most of his talent.
Perhaps the Timberwolves could use their first-rounder to land a more ready-made talent. One question is how much value the No. 1 pick has in a draft without that aforementioned foundational prospect.
The Golden State Warriors could undercut Minnesota as well. Trading out of the No. 2 pick is the most sensible decision for a team with Finals ambitions in 2021.
Teams looking to move up might prefer to negotiate a trade with Golden State.
Winning the lottery presents Rosas and the Wolves' front office with a good kind of dilemma, which is still a dilemma.