It’s been nearly a year since the Timberwolves traded point guard Ricky Rubio to the Utah Jazz, in return receiving a 2018 lottery protected first-round draft pick.
The pick was originally Oklahoma City’s, but Utah acquired it in a trade and then gave it to Minnesota for Rubio.
On Friday, the NBA conducted tiebreakers for the Thunder, Jazz, Pelicans and Pacers, all of whom finished with identical 48-34 records.
Related:
As luck would have it, OKC won the tiebreaker, thus giving the Wolves the best possible outcome.
First tiebreaker: Oklahoma City Thunder gets the #20 pick (pick conveyed to Minnesota). Utah Jazz #21. New Orleans Pelicans #22 (pick conveyed to Chicago). #23 Indiana Pacers
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 13, 2018
It’s amazing news considering Minnesota’s pick, 19th overall, was given to Atlanta as part of the 2015 Adreian Payne trade. So all in all, the Wolves dropped just one spot from where they would’ve been had no trades been made.
Rest of 1st round
15. Wizards
16. Suns (via Heat)
17. Bucks
18. Spurs
19. Hawks (via Wolves)
20. Wolves (via Thunder)
21. Jazz
22. Bulls (via Pelicans)
23. Pacers
24. Blazers
25. Lakers (via Cavs)
26. 76ers
27. Celtics
28. Warriors
29. Nets (via Raptors)
30. Hawks (via Rockets)— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 13, 2018
For a team with the worst draft luck in NBA history, this is great news.
