NBA Draft 2020: 1st-Round Mock Draft, Landing Spots for Coveted Prospects

Heading into the NBA draft lottery a little more than two weeks ago, the biggest question was, unsurprisingly, who would get the No. 1 overall pick. We got our answer: the Minnesota Timberwolves. But with fewer than six weeks until the 2020 NBA draft, there's no consensus on who Minnesota will select—or if the team will even make the pick at all. 

None of this year's top-tier prospects—Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman or LaMelo Ball—are expected to be franchise-altering players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant or, even more recently, Zion Williamson. Instead, Minnesota is left with an interesting quandary: Do you use the first No. 1 overall pick your franchise has had in five years on a player who might become a star, or do you try to entice another team to move up and take your pick while you move back and add either draft capital or another talented young player? 

And the Wolves aren't alone. Here's what we see each team with one of the top three picks deciding to do on draft night:

NBA 2020 Mock Draft

1. Chicago Bulls (via Minnesota): LaMelo Ball, PG/SG, Illawarra Hawks

2. Golden State Warriors: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia

3. Charlotte Hornets: James Wiseman, C, Memphis

4. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Chicago): Obi Toppin, PF/C, Dayton

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Deni Avdija, SF/PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv

6. Atlanta Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu, PF/C, USC

7. Detroit Pistons: Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State

8. New York Knicks: Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State

9. Washington Wizards: Killian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm

10. Phoenix Suns: Isaac Okoro, SF/PF, Auburn

11. San Antonio Spurs: Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina

12. Sacramento Kings: Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt

13. New Orleans Pelicans: Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, Villanova

14. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies): Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis

15. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): RJ Hampton, SG, New Zealand Breakers

16. Portland Trail Blazers: Patrick Williams, PF, Florida State

17. Orlando Magic: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama

18. Dallas Mavericks: Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky

19. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers): Josh Green, SG, Arizona

20. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers): Leandro Bolmaro, SG/SF, Barcelona

21. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder): Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford

22. Utah Jazz: Theo Maledon, PG, ASVEL

23. Miami Heat: Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF, Washington

24. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets): Grant Riller, PG/SG, Charleston

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets): Robert Woodard II, SF, Mississippi State

26. Boston Celtics: Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Olympiacos B

27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers): Jahmi'us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech

28. Toronto Raptors: Jalen Smith, PF/C, Maryland

29. Los Angeles Lakers: Nico Mannion, PG, Arizona

30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks): Xavier Tillman, PF/C, Michigan State

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves have shuffled their roster around Karl-Anthony Towns multiple times since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2015. And during that time, they've made one playoff appearance, in 2017-18, in which they lost in the first round. Jimmy Butler came and went. As did Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, Derrick Rose and Robert Covington. Minnesota now seems set on keeping D'Angelo Russell around as a second-tier star to Towns. 

The problem is, neither of them are particularly good defenders. And while the idea of playing someone like LaMelo Ball alongside Russell and Towns sounds intriguing from an offensive standpoint, they would be a defensive sieve. And I'm not sure Anthony Edwards would be a whole lot better, based on what he did in one season at Georgia. 

So instead, it's time to make a deal. There are a handful of teams in the upper lottery who desperately need an infusion of young talent and excitement around their franchise, namely the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls, both of whom will be breaking in new coaching staffs this season. It's fun to think about LaMelo in the Big Apple, but he and new Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau seem like a less-than-ideal combination. 

Chicago, though, presents an interesting trade partner. The Bulls have yet to hire a head coach but will certainly do so before the draft. They have a talented young roster, with four of their top six scorers last season under the age of 24. Could the No. 4 pick and either Coby White or Chandler Hutchison be enough to pique Minnesota's interest? I'd have to think the team will at least explore it. 

Golden State Warriors

Assuming that LaMelo Ball is off the board at No. 1—no matter where that is to—it almost seems like a given that the Warriors will take Edwards. He's the most ready-made scorer in this year's draft class, and he presents a really interesting lineup option as either a starter alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green, or as a scoring punch off the bench with the second unit. 

Golden State could, in theory, draft Edwards and then flip him to a team with a player the team feels could make a more immediate impact, but with just an expected $17 million in cap space to use this offseason, finding a bona fide starter in that price range will be challenging. And with Klay Thompson turning 31 in February and Stephen Curry turning 33 in March, it's time for the Warriors to make some long-term roster planning. With Edwards, they can address both the immediate need and the future. 

Charlotte Hornets

Michael Jordan and Co. sure seem to have a penchant for players from the University of Kentucky. In the past eight years, the Hornets have used four of their first-round picks on former Wildcats, and all of them have been in the lottery. The best of the bunch, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they traded away for Miles Bridges. Luckily for the ex-Wildcats in this year's class, there likely aren't any of them good enough to be taken at No. 3 by the Hornets. 

The no-brainer here seems to be one-time (kind of) Memphis star James Wiseman. He only played in three games for the Tigers last season before being ruled ineligible, but he averaged 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in those contests. He would immediately slide in as Charlotte's starting center, and he'd give them a talented young frontcourt duo with P.J. Washington. Again, Charlotte could trade out here if there's a team really high on Wiseman, but his upside is as high as anyone's in the draft. 

Follow Keegan on Twitter @ByKeeganPope.