The Minnesota Timberwolves have the No. 1 pick in next week’s NBA draft, and all options are on the table. There is no perceived franchise-altering star in this year’s class, so trading the pick as the centerpiece of a deal for a veteran is possible. A trade down, to add other pieces and still take one of the top players in the draft, is also an option.
The Charlotte Hornets, who have the third overall pick, reportedly covet Memphis center James Wiseman. Wiseman is a strained fit in Minnesota if he’s on their radar at No. 1, with Karl Anthony-Towns in place at center until further notice. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has also reported Wiseman “doesn’t even want to do anything with” the Timberwolves.
Then there’s this, from Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
The Golden State Warriors may take Wiseman at No. 2 overall. So if the Hornets do want him as badly as the rumors suggest, they’ll have to get ahead of the Warriors to assure they get him. The Timberwolves may oblige that need, and use their leverage.
With the swap of top-3 picks the headline of a possible trade, here’s a deal with the Hornets that could get the Timberwolves to move off the No. 1 pick.
Timberwolves get: No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft, SF Miles Bridges
Hornets get: No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft, SG Jarrett Culver
Culver already looks like a reach (No. 6 overall in the 2019 draft). Being a negative value offensive player, and a wing player who can’t shoot (29.9 percent from 3-point range as a rookie last season) isn’t ideal. He also shot just 46.2 percent from the line as a rookie. Moving him should be easy for the Timberwolves.
Bridges is not exactly a perimeter marksman himself, as he converted 33 percent from beyond the arc last season. So his uptick in volume in his second season, to 4.6 3-attempts per game, feels ill-advised. But he has raw upside Culver doesn’t seem to have, and he can make his foul shots (80.9 percent last year) The Timberwolves should absolutely ask for Bridges if the Hornets initiate talks to move up for Wiseman.
