NBA Draft 2020: 5 teams that could trade for the Minnesota Timberwolves' No. 1 pick
Every year, all teams in the competition look towards the NBA Draft to bolster their rosters ahead of the start of a new season. However, the teams at the bottom get the best crack at the top prospects, as they have the high picks. The coveted No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft 2020 belongs to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The NBA Draft 2020 is on the 18th of November, 2020. Before the top prospects in the draft get the opportunity to put on an NBA jersey for the first time, teams have an opportunity to trade their picks.
NBA Draft 2020: Which team needs the Minnesota Timberwolves' No. 1 pick more than the rest?
Even though the class of NBA Draft 2020 is weaker than that of previous years, the talent among the top 5 prospects is undeniable. Teams around the league will jump at the opportunity to have a go with the No. 1 2020 NBA draft pick that the Minnesota Timberwolves currently have.
However, there is a bigger question in the final few days leading up to the NBA Draft 2020: what will it take for teams to convince the Wolves organization to part with their prized pick?
In this article, we take a look at five teams whose chances of making it to the NBA Playoffs could be significantly bolstered if they get the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft 2020.
NBA Draft 2020: Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls miss their glory days back in the 90s when they had parades and parties all around the city celebrating their back-to-back-to-back titles.
To return to championship contention again, the Bulls franchise must consider a trade for the Timberwolves' first overall pick. Their star shooting guard Zach LaVine isn't capable enough to run a team alone. The situation gets exacerbated, as there is a lack of other stars alongside him in the team's roster.
The Bulls, who have kept an eye on LaMelo Ball for a while, expect to draft him in the upcoming NBA Draft 2020. But with the player likely to be a top 3 pick, the Bulls might miss out on that opportunity.
The Timberwolves don't have great bench depth. If the Bulls consider trading a plethora of bench players to acquire LaMelo Ball, the back court combination of Zach LaVine and LaMelo Ball might do great things for the franchise.
NBA Draft 2020: New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans, who drafted Zion Williamson out of Duke as the first pick in 2019, are hoping to rebuild the franchise around the player. However, they have a number of key players that could be trade assets if they look at targeting the Timberwolves' 1st overall pick in the NBA Draft 2020.
In return, the Minnesota Timberwolves could likely get Jrue Holiday, a spectacular shooting guard who has shown All-Star caliber talent. Pairing D'Angelo Russell with Jrue Holiday and Karl Anthony-Towns at center would be an interesting proposition and give the Timberwolves a chance to fight the top teams in the west.
This trade would also give the Pelicans a chance to possibly draft Anthony Edwards, a projected top 3 pick, and pair him up with Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
NBA Draft 2020: Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons ended their campaign in the Eastern Conference last season in 13th.
After trading their star center Andre Drummond to the Cavaliers, they are looking to rebuild around a young squad. Acquiring the 1st overall pick in the NBA Draft 2020 could certainly help them in this regard.
The Pistons have Luke Kennard and an abundance of future picks they can trade to acquire the Timberwolves' No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft 2020.
Drafting talented prospects such as Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball or James Wiseman could massively help the Pistons get back in contention to win the NBA title.
NBA Draft 2020: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are likely to get rid of their veterans and start afresh after finishing last season with a 19-46 record. They have a few veteran players on expensive contracts such as Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Andre Drummond.
With the last seed in the Eastern Conference, it should come as no surprise that the Cavs want to rejig its roster. In this regard, a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves for their 1st overall pick in the NBA Draft 2020 could help the Cavaliers greatly.
The Timberwolves don't have any star forwards and are weak in the front court. A trade consisting of Kevin Love to Minnesota could be sufficient for the Timberwolves to give up their 1st overall pick to the Cavaliers in the upcoming NBA Draft 2020.
Pairing Karl Anthony-Towns with Kevin Love could do wonders for the Timberwolves' who have D'Angelo Russell as the point guard. This trade would also substantially help the Cavaliers in their pursuit to rebuild its roster.
NBA Draft 2020: Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks haven't won a title since 1958. That is a long trophy drought for the franchise.
The Hawks' current roster features All-Star point guard Trae Young, who is also known as 'Ice-Trae'. It is not far-fetched to say that he has single-handedly carried the teams burden for a while.
Despite having no other all-star to help, Young averages a phenomenal 30 points per game and often drops 40 points in an effort to win games for the franchise. However, despite Trae's exploits, the team only finished second from bottom in the Eastern Conference last season. Considering the same, many would agree that the player cannot do it all on his own.
The Hawks have a bunch of role players who are not contributing in the team's victories. These players could help orchestrate a trade to bolster the Minnesota bench.
In this regard, if the Hawks get the 1st overall pick in the NBA Draft 2020, they could possibly draft him with Anthony Edwards in the backcourt along with Trae Young.
Edwards is from Atlanta and considers the Hawks as his home team and has aspirations to play there, He is also close to Trae Young, and that chemistry could do wonders for the team.
Also Read: NBA Trade Rumors: New York or Los Angeles the preferred destinations for Chris Paul - Evaluating the chances of each of the four franchises.