2020 NBA Draft Order: Team-by-Team Selection List for Rounds 1-2

The Minnesota Timberwolves have just one more day to debate the best use of the first pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

Can they find a workable trade that nets them an impact veteran? Is there a trade-down scenario that offers both win-now assistance and something for the future? Should they keep it and spend it on LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards or James Wiseman? Are there any other prospects worth considering in those spots?

These are the same questions that have bounced around the Gopher State since the Wolves snagged the top selection at the draft lottery in August, but they need a definitive answer sooner than later.

After examining the draft assets of all 30 teams, we'll take a closer look at the potential fit in Minnesota for the top three prospects.

2020 NBA Draft Picks by Team

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Atlanta Hawks: Picks 6, 50

Boston Celtics: Picks 14, 26, 30, 47

Brooklyn Nets: Picks 19, 55

Charlotte Hornets: Picks 3, 32, 56

Chicago Bulls: Picks 4, 44

Cleveland Cavaliers: Pick 5

Dallas Mavericks: Picks 18, 31

Denver Nuggets: Pick 22

Detroit Pistons: Pick 7

Golden State Warriors: Picks 2, 48, 51

Houston Rockets: No picks

Indiana Pacers: Pick 54

Los Angeles Clippers: Pick 57

Los Angeles Lakers: Pick 28 (will reportedly be traded to Oklahoma City Thunder, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski)

Memphis Grizzlies: Pick 40

Miami Heat: Pick 20

Milwaukee Bucks: Pick 24 (will reportedly be traded to New Orleans Pelicans, per The Athletic's David Aldridge)

Minnesota Timberwolves: Picks 1, 17, 33

New Orleans Pelicans: Picks 13, 39, 42, 60

New York Knicks: Picks 8, 27, 38

Oklahoma City Thunder: Picks 25, 53

Orlando Magic: Picks 15, 45

Philadelphia 76ers: Picks 21, 34, 36, 49, 58

Phoenix Suns: Pick 10

Portland Trail Blazers: Picks 16 (will reportedly be traded to Houston Rockets, per Wojnarowski), 46

Sacramento Kings: Picks 12, 35, 43, 52

San Antonio Spurs: Picks 11, 41

Toronto Raptors: Picks 29, 59

Utah Jazz: Pick 23

Washington Wizards: Picks 9, 37

LaMelo Ball

Rick Rycroft/Associated Press

If Ball winds up in Minnesota, he'll get there by the best-player-available path. Given where the Wolves are on the NBA pecking order, though, that's how they should be operating.

It would create some obvious issues with fit, though. The overlap between Ball and D'Angelo Russell could prove problematic. Both are ball-dominant lead guards who struggle to rev up defensively.

Saying that, Russell is a capable spot-up shooter, and Ball could get to that place if he cleans up his mechanics. Russell is the shorter of the two at 6'5", so physically, he and Ball should be able to figure things out defensively if they can stay engaged.

There are better basketball fits for Minnesota and for Ball, but if the club thinks he's the best player in this draft, that's all that matters. It's always smart to stockpile talent, and if some of it needs clearing out in a future trade, so be it.

Anthony Edwards

James Crisp/Associated Press

As 2020 has taught us time and again, most everything in life is subject to change, so take this with several grains of salt. But at this late juncture of the mock-drafting process, most arrows are pointing at Minnesota selecting Edwards if it's unable to move the pick.

"Most NBA teams are now getting the sense that Edwards is the likely selection if the Wolves stay put," ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported. "He brings a positional fit with D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns, while Wiseman and Ball would overlap with those franchise cornerstones."

Edwards is the cleanest on-paper fit for Minnesota. His NBA-ready 6'5", 225-pound frame can drop right in between Russell and Towns, providing shot-making, off-the-dribble attacking and, hopefully, some needed defensive versatility.

Until (or if) Edwards can up his defensive energy, though, the Timberwolves could be stuck holding nightly races to 125 points. Russell and Towns both have problems engaging defensively, and Edwards has encountered the same issue on and off the ball.

James Wiseman

Karen Pulfer Focht/Associated Press

This has often been treated as a three-prospect race for No. 1, and perhaps it still could be if Minnesota moves the pick. If the Timberwolves stay in the top spot, though, that will likely keep Wiseman out of it.

They already have an All-Star center in Towns. For all the different roster combinations we've seen in the increasingly positionless modern NBA, a two-big lineup is one of the trickiest to make work. That's especially true when both bigs struggle to defend on the perimeter, which could be the case with Towns and Wiseman.

That's probably why Wiseman just revealed to reporters he hasn't spoken to the team in advance of the draft.

"I've been getting a lot of recommendations from them," he said. "In terms of talking to them, I haven't."

If the Timberwolves are convinced Wiseman is the clear-cut No. 1 prospect, they should move this pick for whatever they can get. It's not just that Towns is the best player on their roster, it's that he holds that distinction while being a 25-year-old who's under contract through 2024. So, it's not like the Wolves could even draft Wiseman and groom him behind an aging veteran.

It's best for all parties if Wiseman and the Wolves avoid each other on draft night.