No. 1. Minnesota Timberwolves: G Cade Cunningham – Oklahoma State
This year, there are five elite-level prospects and this group of young talent is highlighted by Cade Cunningham, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft regardless of who is picking first. So you can etch that into your NBA mock draft projections now. The 6’8” guard is as dynamic as they come offensively and the main reason why he is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft is because of his ability to be a three-level scorer.
Whether it is driving to the rim and rising up over smaller defenders, pulling up from the mid-range or pulling up from three-point range, Cade Cunningham has the ability to score in many different ways and is an elite-level offensive player. That should be intriguing to the Timberwolves, and for whoever ends up with the No. 1 pick, for that matter.
He may not be the quickest or most explosive player in the 2021 NBA Draft class, but because of his length, size and scoring ability, it is hard for any team to pass up the chance to land him in this draft. The Timberwolves do have Ricky Rubio and D’Angelo Russell in their backcourt, but both guys can easily be moved to make room for Cade Cunningham.
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Right now, the Timberwolves just need to continue to add high-level talent to their roster and by drafting Cade Cunningham, they are doing just that. Ricky Rubio is just a “fill-in” player right now and does not really have a future with this team. D’Angelo Russell has the ability to play the shooting guard position, but with Malik Beasley and Anthony Edwards both being high-level talents, the Timberwolves could realistically look to move Russell in the offseason.
Regardless of what Minnesota plans to do in the offseason in regards to D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns being included in NBA trade rumors, the Timberwolves still need to take Cade Cunningham No. 1 overall should they land the first pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He is a franchise changing point guard that could do wonders next to Anthony Edwards.
With Cade Cunningham and Anthony Edwards being the two faces of the franchise moving forward with one of the best big men in the league in Karl-Anthony Towns, the Minnesota Timberwolves may finally be able to write a new chapter in their franchise’s history and finally get back to being a competitive team in the Western Conference.
