NBA Draft 2020: Full Selection Order, Prospects Worth Trading Up to Get

The NBA's classified section could get crowded with all of the 2020 draft picks for sale.

As The Athletic's Sam Vecenie reported, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors are testing the trade waters for the first and second picks, respectively. This willingness to talk shop presumably continues down the draft board.

The big question, then, is which teams are buying. But maybe the more important inquiry is why should they.

Who's worth a draft-night climb up the ladder? Well, it's funny you should ask, as we've highlighted three such players beneath the official selection order.

2020 NBA Draft Order

1. Minnesota Timberwolves

2. Golden State Warriors

3. Charlotte Hornets

4. Chicago Bulls

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

6. Atlanta Hawks

7. Detroit Pistons

8. New York Knicks

9. Washington Wizards

10. Phoenix Suns

11. San Antonio Spurs

12. Sacramento Kings

13. New Orleans Pelicans

14. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies)

15. Orlando Magic

16. Portland Trail Blazers

17. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets)

18. Dallas Mavericks

19. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers)

20. Miami Heat

21. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder)

22. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets)

23. Utah Jazz

24. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers)

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets)

26. Boston Celtics

27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers)

28. Los Angeles Lakers

29. Toronto Raptors

30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks)

Prospects Worth Trading Up to Get

LaMelo Ball, PG/SG, Illawarra Hawks

The lack of a can't-miss prospect doesn't mean this class lacks potential stars. In fact, Ball's combination of elite passing and deep, off-the-dribble shooting is the kind of identity-setting skill around which an entire franchise may be constructed.

The second he hits the NBA hardwood, he should make the league's short list of top table-setters. That may ring hyperbolic (or at least highly optimistic), but the tape says otherwise. He can make every pass in the book and accurately deliver them with either hand.

"Even in a worst-case scenario, LaMelo Ball could be one of the league's most skilled playmakers," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote. "... Because of his 6'7" size, ball-handling, creativity and vision, it's easy to buy Ball's ability to create easy shots for teammates in transition and off ball screens."

There are unanswered questions about Ball's shot selection, mechanics and defensive motor, all of which will determine his ultimate standing in the hoops world's hierarchy. But he'll ignite an uptempo attack and elevate the players around him. That's exactly the kind of unifying force most organizations are hoping to find near the top of the draft.

James Wiseman, C, Memphis

Some will scoff at the notion of moving up for an interior player in the modern game. That's fine, but it works on a pair of possibly faulty assumptions.

The first is that Wiseman will top out as a rim-running big man. That undersells the promise he's shown operating away from the basket. If his jump-shooting flashes form something more sustainable, you might be looking at peak DeAndre Jordan with an outside stroke. That's a dangerous weapon in any era.

The second potential misread is that superior options exist at the top of this class. That's putting a lot of stock into Ball's development in efficiency and defense, plus Anthony Edwards contributing to winning in ways he never has before. And again, it also discounts the chances of Wiseman becoming something greater than his current form—which, by the way, has more than a few front offices entranced.

"A lot of executives I've spoken with actually consider Wiseman to be among the safer players in the draft," Vecenie reported. "Simply put, few executives doubt that his size, length and athleticism will translate into being a starting quality NBA center."

If you're a team in need of a building-block big—looking at you, Hornets and Pistons—you have to think long and hard about making a move for Wiseman and perhaps scratching that itch for the next decade-plus.

Killian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm

Not every team has the ammunition to swing for the fences, so it's worth highlighting a secondary target. And actually, that feels like a funny description for Hayes, since multiple evaluators rank him among the very best in this draft.

Wasserman put Hayes second overall on his latest big board. The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor went a step further and graded Hayes as the best prospect this class has to offer.

"While playing last season in Germany for Ratiopharm Ulm, Hayes showed skill beyond his years, taking stepbacks, side steps and fearless pull-up jumpers," O'Connor wrote. "Most NBA players, let alone teenagers, don't possess the type of footwork required to attempt such complex moves, but Hayes is ahead of the curve."

The best-case scenario for Hayes could feature shooting, shot-creation, advanced distributing and multi-positional stopping. That's the recipe for a perimeter star.

The most inviting part of all this is he shouldn't cost as much. Hayes doesn't always crack the top five in mock drafts and often finds himself at the back end of the top 10. But if teams share the rosy evaluations put forth by these analysts, they can't afford to wait and hope Hayes falls in their lap. Assuming Ball, Edwards and Wiseman are the first three picks (in whatever order), a trade up for Hayes at No. 4 could be a stroke of genius.