T-Wolves win lottery, land No. 1 pick in NBA draft

Sports News & Analysis

For the second time in six seasons, the Minnesota Timberwolves will make the first selection in the NBA draft.

Minnesota won the draft lottery on Thursday night, with the Golden State Warriors landing at No. 2 and the Charlotte Hornets at No. 3. The Timberwolves, Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers and shared the best odds — 14 percent — at winning the lottery and getting the top selection.

“Wow. Super exciting,” Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell, who was traded by Golden State to Minnesota in February, said on ESPN. “We trust Gersson (Rosas, the president of basketball operations,) and Ryan (Saunders, the head coach) and all those guys to continue making Minnesota a home for some of the younger guys coming up. …

“The bar is set now. We’re excited to get it going.”

Rosas said in a statement, “We are excited for the possibilities ahead of us to bring in a high caliber player now that we secured the first overall selection. As a front office, we are proud of what we’ve built here in Minnesota so far and we are looking forward to continuing to build upon that foundation in this year’s draft.

“We know with the number one pick we have the opportunity to draft an impact player who could immediately complement our young, strong core in All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell.

“The front office and I are prepared to get right to work with this new component for the draft and we’re confident we will be able to bring energy and excitement to our fanbase with our next moves.” Minnesota chose Towns with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft. The Timberwolves also acquired the first overall pick in the 2014 draft, Andrew Wiggins, from the Cleveland Cavaliers before he played a game in the NBA.

The Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons had greater than a 10 percent chance to land the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday. Charlotte had a 6 percent of coming out on top.

New lottery system for NBA draft

This is the second year of the NBA’s flattened lottery odds. Last year, the system led to drama, and a potential franchise cornerstone for the New Orleans Pelicans in Zion Williamson.

Entering the 2019 lottery, the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland shared the best odds to land Williamson, whose blend of physical stature, athleticism and marketing potential made him a generational prospect.

Instead, New Orleans (which had a 6 percent chance to pick first) shot up to the top. The Memphis Grizzlies, who had a 6.3 chance to land at No. 2, drafted Ja Morant, the front-runner for Rookie of the Year and a likely franchise cornerstone.

The Los Angeles Lakers, who had a 2.8 percent chance to get the fourth selection, rose to that spot — then included that pick in the package to trade for superstar Anthony Davis.

Prior to Thursday’s lottery, the probability for landing the No. 1 pick for the other teams involved: New York (9 percent chance), Chicago Bulls (7.5 percent), Washington Wizards (4.5 percent), Phoenix (3 percent), San Antonio Spurs (2 percent), Sacramento Kings (1.3 percent), New Orleans (1.2 percent) and Memphis (0.5 percent).

The lottery odds were based on the pre-shutdown standings.

Class lacks consensus No. 1

Unlike the dynamic 2019 combination of Williamson and Morant, there are no clear-cut top prospects in this year’s draft. This group also does not appear to have the depth of a 2018 class that included 2020 All-Stars Luka Doncic and Trae Young, along with promising talents Deandre Ayton, Jaren Jackson Jr., Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Michael Porter Jr. and Mikal Bridges. Prospect evaluation has been different for front offices during this cycle, with no NCAA Tournament games to scout, no combine and no in-person workouts due to do COVID-19 precautions.

Here is a breakdown of some of the top available prospects, per various draft evaluators:

LaMelo Ball, who played professionally in Australia out of high school, routinely rips off highlight-worthy passes and boasts a tight handle. But there are concerns about his shooting efficiency, and he is naturally polarizing to some because of his father’s reputation.Georgia’s Anthony Edwards is an explosive wing, and might be the biggest sure thing as a productive NBA player.Dayton’s Obi Toppin was college basketball’s Player of the Year. He is a big man with a versatile skill set, and excels offensively in the pick and roll.James Wiseman is a 7-foot-1 center with physicality and defensive prowess. But the former No. 1 recruit is still a bit of an unknown because he only played in three college games at Memphis due to NCAA eligibility issues.Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton is a pro-ready point guard because of his decision-making with the ball in his hands.Killian Hayes of France is another elite playmaking point guard.Southern California’s Onyeka Okongwu is a skilled big man who can pass, handle and score.

2020 NBA Draft OrderFIRST ROUND

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 (from Memphis Grizzlies) 15. Orlando Magic 16. Portland Trail Blazers 17. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Brooklyn Nets) 18. Dallas Mavericks 19. Brooklyn Nets 20. Miami Heat 21. Philadelphia 76ers (from Oklahoma City Thunder) 22. Denver Nuggets (from Houston Rockets) 23. Utah Jazz 24. Milwaukee Bucks (from Indiana Pacers) 25. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Denver Nuggets) 26. Boston Celtics 27. New York Knicks (from Los Angeles Clippers) 28. Los Angeles Lakers 29. Toronto Raptors 30. Boston Celtics (from Milwaukee Bucks)

SECOND ROUND

31. Dallas Mavericks (from Golden State Warriors) 32. Charlotte Hornets (from Cleveland Cavaliers) 33. Minnesota Timberwolves 34. Philadelphia 76ers (from Atlanta Hawks) 35. Sacramento Kings (from Detroit Pistons) 36. Philadelphia 76ers (from New York Knicks) 37. Washington Wizards (from Chicago Bulls) 38. New York Knicks (from Charlotte Hornets) 39. New Orleans Pelicans (from Washington Wizards) 40. Memphis Grizzlies (from Phoenix Suns) 41. San Antonio Spurs 42. New Orleans Pelicans 43. Sacramento Kings 44. Chicago Bulls (from Memphis Grizzlies) 45. Orlando Magic 46. Portland Trail Blazers 47. Boston Celtics (from Brooklyn Nets) 48. Golden State Warriors (from Dallas Mavericks) 49. Philadelphia 76ers 50. Atlanta Hawks (from Miami Heat) 51. Golden State Warriors (from Utah Jazz) 52. Sacramento Kings (from Houston Rockets) 53. Oklahoma City Thunder 54. Indiana Pacers 55. Brooklyn Nets (from Denver Nuggets) 56. Charlotte Hornets (from Boston Celtics) 57. Los Angeles Clippers 58. Philadelphia 76ers (from Los Angeles Lakers) 59. Toronto Raptors 60. New Orleans Pelicans (from Milwaukee Bucks)

–Field Level Media ()