The Timberwolves are one win away from their second consecutive Western Conference Finals appearance.
But Minnesota’s Game 4 win in San Francisco wasn’t the only major happening across the NBA on Monday evening. Taking place hours earlier was the draft lottery, which left the league stunned as Dallas, who had a 1% chance of nabbing the No. 1 overall pick, got the top spot and is now in position to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg on June 25.
But what about Minnesota? The Timberwolves currently own the No. 17 pick — Detroit’s selection —which they acquired in their trade with the Knicks back in September.
Who is Minnesota projected to select in the first round of next month’s draft? Here’s who the experts suspect may soon be joining the organization:
ESPN: Michigan forward Danny Wolf
The skinny: Leaning into the versatility of an out-of-the-box prospect such as Wolf, who shouldered significant playmaking responsibilities for Michigan as a 7-footer, could be interesting. Wolf’s skill level, creativity and overall instincts on both ends of the floor give him a higher ceiling than your typical 21-year-old prospect, especially with the development trajectory he has been on the past three years.
NBA intel and fit: The Pistons breaking through and making the playoffs conveyed this pick to the Timberwolves, who have a nice opportunity to add talent after having traded away most of their draft capital since Tim Connelly took over as president. Wolf would give them a versatile frontcourt player capable of contributing sooner than later.
Minnesota will also consider using this pick to improve its roster as it pushes to contend around an ascending Anthony Edwards.
SBNation: Alabama guard Labaron Philon
The skinny: Philon started for an elite team all year as a true freshman and made big contributions despite not having a reliable outside jumper yet. The 6’4 guard has one of the better handles in the class, and he does a tremendous job manipulating pace to punch holes in the opposing defense. He’s a solid live-dribble passer who can kick out to teammates for threes, and he has a developing mid-range/floater game to score even when he doesn’t make it all the way to the rim. Philon’s defense is also intriguing with quick hands that generated the most steals on the Crimson Tide by a big margin. The catch with Philon is he isn’t a great outside shooter yet (31.5 percent from deep) and he has trouble finishing over length. If the shot comes around, his game feels built for the playoffs.
Yahoo: Colorado State wing Nique Clifford
The skinny: Clifford is a tough-as-nails wing who does it all. He defends multiple positions, crashes the boards and scores from everywhere. The Timberwolves could use that type of dynamic ability from a role player, since Clifford can offer some creation and passing on top of his foundational skills. And plus with Nickeil Alexander-Walker set to hit free agency, Minnesota might need someone who’s ready sooner than later.
USA Today’s For The Win: Colorado State wing Nique Clifford
The skinny: In our last mock draft, we had Colorado State senior Nique Clifford projected to the Timberwolves and we are sticking with that instinct. Clifford is the oldest player we have projected in the first round but he looks ready to contribute to an NBA rotation. He led an upset over Memphis in the first round of the NCAA tournament and averaged a productive 18.9 points. 9.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game during his final collegiate campaign.
Bleacher Report: French guard Nolan Traore
The skinny: Nolan Traore is in the midst of one of his best stretches of the season. He’s going to enter the draft with the field’s highest assist percentage regardless, but now he’s confidently stepping into three-point makes and creating for himself with visible decisiveness.
Shooting struggles and inefficiency caused by athletic limitations had scared scouts off. But the bar was awfully high entering the season. And now the 18-year-old has looked highly effective generating offense as a starting point guard in Pro A.
The Athletic: Georgetown forward Thomas Sorber
The skinny: The Timberwolves have some questions forthcoming in the frontcourt over the next couple of years. Julius Randle has starred in the playoffs but has a player option this summer. Naz Reid is a free agent. Rudy Gobert turns 33 in June. Sorber is an absolutely massive body that I think would tick some boxes for head of basketball operations Tim Connelly. He’s fluid and coordinated at 6-9 to 6-10, but moreover possesses a mammoth wing span that I wouldn’t be stunned to see land in the 7-4 range. His frame is massive with broad shoulders
Beyond that, he has this innate feel for the game as a passer and playmaker that Connelly has tended to value in his big men going back to even Denver, when he selected Nikola Jokic. It’s easy to see Minnesota valuing Sorber as a big man with real feel for the game as a developmental project next year who could hopefully step into a more substantive role in his second and third seasons.
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