The Timberwolves entered the night with the 6th worst regular season record in the NBA, which meant they had the 6th best chance at landing the top overall pick (for the second straight year). As you can see by the draft order above, the Wolves once again failed to move up in the NBA Lottery, instead dropping down from #6 to #7, which ultimately resulted in them conveying their first round pick this year to Golden State.
So… now what? For starters, the results of last night’s lottery brings much-needed closure to the D’Angelo Russell for Andrew Wiggins swap, a trade that originally was announced back in February of 2020. With the Wolves officially conveying this year’s pick to Golden State, the deal now breaks down (basically) to Wiggins and the #7 pick for Russell.
Is that good? Bad? Somewhere in-between? In my opinion, knowing what we know now (and still a little hungover from last night’s festivities), the blockbuster trade with Golden State is far easier to stomach now that we know it’s not a top-five pick going to The Bay Area. Would it be nice to have another young player headed to Minnesota this summer? Absolutely, but in the mind of Gersson Rosas and his front office, this was the cost of doing business, and with the lottery dust now settled, the Wolves can officially move forward as they attempt to (finally) elevate themselves from the cellars of the Western Conference.
