- Gersson Rosas says Timberwolves have yet to decide which player to take first overall in November’s draft
- Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball among top options
- Minnesota could also look to trade the pick if the right offer comes along
Last month, the Minnesota Timberwolves won the draft lottery, which means they will have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. While the Wolves still have quite a bit of time between now and when they will officially be on the clock on November 18, the team reportedly does not have its sights currently set on a particular player.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas admitted that the team has yet to decide how to approach the top overall pick. However, Rosas did say that he is confident that the Wolves will have made up their minds by the time draft night rolls around.
“That analysis is fair. There’s no guy that has separated himself from the pack from public or external view, but I’m very confident that as we go through this process, the talent will rise to the top and we’ll be confident about identifying one guy as the best guy, the best talented player with the most upside and most ability for our organization.”
Rosas said that the Wolves have been studying potential draftees for the past several months and that the team feels good about the crop of players that will be available to them at No. 1. Minnesota, who finished 19-45 after the truncated 2019-20 season, also has the 17th and 33rd picks in the draft.
Wolves Building Around KAT
This will mark the second time in Wolves franchise history that they have picked first overall in the draft. Karl-Anthony Towns was taken with the top overall selection back in 2015, and the team is still looking to build a competitive roster around the All-Star center. Minnesota has missed out on the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, and the franchise has made just one appearance in the postseason since the 2004-05 campaign.
The Timberwolves will be conducting in-person meetings and workouts with draft prospects in the coming weeks. The team is also open to discussing trade scenarios with other teams that may be looking to part ways with other assets in order to get up to the No. 1 overall spot.
Rosas added,
“For us, we typically study the draft from 1 to whatever number we feel like is a draftable player. And we’ll evaluate those guys for trade scenarios, trade back, trade out, for undrafted free agent opportunities, for minor league opportunities, so we really beat up the draft board as much as we can all the way up until the draft.”
Edwards Favored to Go No. 1
NBA betting sites have slapped odds on which players may be taken first overall. Georgia swingman Anthony Edwards has emerged as a fairly heavy -230 favorite to go No. 1 despite the apparent uncertainty. LaMelo Ball (+195) has emerged as a serious contender in recent weeks, while Memphis center James Wiseman (+800) has been among the odds-on favorites for several months.
With Towns in the fold, Wiseman seems like an unlikely choice at No. 1 unless the Timberwolves wind up trading the pick. Deni Avdija (+5000 to go No. 1) and Obi Toppin (+10000) are a couple of other players that may go in the top-five.
Despite owning the top overall pick, oddsmakers aren’t too keen on Minnesota’s chances at competing next season. The Timberwolves are listed at +20000 to win next year’s NBA title. Only the Spurs, Hornets, Cavaliers, Pistons, and Knicks have worse odds.
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith has been a staff writer with GamblingSites.org since early 2017. Taylor is primarily a sports writer, though he will occasionally dabble in other things like politics and entertainment betting. His primary specialties are writing about the NBA, Major League Baseball, NFL and domestic and international soccer. Fringe sports like golf and horse racing aren’t exactly his cup of tea, bu …
