It’s not often that a future starter, much less a star player star, is found with the 20th pick in the NBA Draft. That’s where the Wolves are in Thursday’s draft, which starts at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
Chances are the Wolves don’t trade the pick, but if they do it’s more likely that they trade back rather than moving up in the draft.
“In this particular draft, I think we’re fortunate because it does line up with our needs. There are a lot of wing players in the middle of this draft,” Wolves general manager Scot Layden said Wednesday. “It also gives us options because of the depth, I think there is the potential to move back. It’s always hard to move up this time of year, it’s very expensive.”
Head coach Tom Thibodeau said he’s excited about the pick and believes several good players will be available when they go on-the-clock, and he’ll be looking for a player that can shoot, is tough and plays defense.
In the NBA world, that’s known as a “3 and D” guy, which the Wolves certainly didn’t have on the roster when they won 47 games and reached the playoffs last season.
So who are the best 3 and D guys who might be available when Minnesota picks?
- Donte DiVincenzo: the 6-foot-5 shooting guard scored 31 points to lead Villanova over Michigan in the National Championship Game, and also shot the lights out from 3 all season.
- Khyri Thomas: a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Creighton who makes up for a lack of height with a wingspan of 6 feet, 10 inches.
- Josh Okogie: a freak athlete from Georgia Tech who CBS Sports compared to Utah’s Donovan Mitchell. He’s 6-foot-4 with 7-foot wingspan.
- Kevin Huerter: the Maryland shooting guard has great size at 6-foot-7 and has been rising up draft boards since putting on a shooting show during the NBA Combine. He shot 41.7 percent from 3 last season. He’s more 3 than D, however.
- Troy Brown: he’s 6-foot-7 and still just 18 years old, so if the Wolves take him he’s less likely to provide immediate help to a team that’s ready to win now.
Also, don’t look for the Wolves to draft the best player available: “We have a clear understanding of what type of players will fit here,” said Layden.
Related: Tom Thibodeau laughs off reports of strife within the locker room.
Related: Jalen Rose would be “shocked” if Wolves don’t trade Towns or Wiggins.
Note: Justin Patton, last year’s first-round pick, missed most of last year with a foot injury and he’s injured again and won’t play at all this summer and probably not in the fall either.
