The Timberwolves may lose their 2021 first-rounder to the Warriors as a result of the D’Angelo Russell trade but the team has no regrets about the transaction.
As of now, I think our resurgence has happened with D’Angelo’s return, so that’s paying dividends now,” Minnesota GM Gersson Rosas said (via Michael Rand of The Star Tribune). “We put the protection in the pick that we felt like was critical to keeping the pick. At some point you’re going to give the pick up whether it’s this year or next year. We’re firm believers. We did it for a purpose. We’re seeing the return on that deal now.”
The selection will remain with Minnesota if it lands in the top-3.
More Draft Buzz
- Cade Cunningham, who is likely to be the No. 1 pick, isn’t quite a surefire future All-Star. One of his red flags, as Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report writes, is his inefficient scoring from within the arc. As a freshman at Oklahoma State, Cunningham shot just 9-of-33 on runners and 11-of-41 on jumpers inside of 17 feet, which could be an area of concern once he gets to the NBA.
- In his latest Mock Draft, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has USC big man Evan Mobley headed to Detroit with the No. 3 overall pick. Vecenie adds that he feels Jalen Green will get a look at this spot for the Pistons given his potential fit next to Killian Hayes, the franchise simply needs to take the best player available, which is Mobley.
- While the Cavaliers seem to have a budding prospect in Isaac Okoro, the team could use another wing with real two-way potential, Vecenie writes in the same piece. The scribe had Jonathan Kuminga headed to Cleveland with the No. 5 pick in his mock, giving J.B Bickerstaff & Co. a real scoring option at the forward position.
- Chad Ford of NBABigBoard.com believes Texas center Kai Jones is one of the draft’s high-risk, high-reward prospects. The combination of Jones’ perimeter game and athletism is intriguing to scouts, however, the big man is considered one of the least NBA-ready prospects in the draft.
