With 10 days to go before the commencement of the NBA Draft, virtually held in Bristol, Connecticut, reports have begun to emerge that the Minnesota Timberwolves are leaning towards selecting Memphis center James Wiseman with the No. 1 overall pick.
“Multiple sources have told Bleacher Report the name they keep hearing now for the Timberwolves is James Wiseman,” according to Jonathan Wasserman. “Some within the Golden State Warriors think Wiseman is going No. 1, whether Minnesota keeps the pick or not, one source plugged into the conversation said.
While it has been no secret that the Timberwolves are open to the possibility of trading the top overall selection, due to the belief that the start of this year's draft is devoid of any “can't-miss talent,” their willingness to draft the college big man is surprising given recent reports of Wiseman's hesitancy to join the Minneapolis franchise.
Originally reported by ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Memphis standout believes the fit would be a bad one given the presence of Karl-Anthony Towns. Should the Timberwolves follow through on the draft selection, it would likely force one of the two to move to the power forward position, a style of play with which neither have extended experience.
Though its entirely possible that Minnesota does in fact follow through on the rumors in drafting Wiseman, there is a possibility that the leak is simply a smokescreen meant to entice the Golden State Warriors, or other teams with known interest in the center, into engaging in trade negotiations with the franchise.
With most having expected Wiseman to at the very least drop to the second selection due to the aforementioned on-court fit, the Timberwolves signaling that they are willing to roll the dice on the pick, may jumpstart trade offers that have thus far been slow to trickle in.
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