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Devil's Advocate: Is Karl-Anthony Towns at No. 1 Really a Done Deal?

The Internet tells us Towns is practically in a Wolves jersey already ... but it's not Thursday night yet.

By Lindsey M. Young
Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Don't get me wrong--no one wants to see Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota more than I do. I haven't been sold on Jahlil Okafor since Day 1, and although D'Angelo Russell is entirely tempting in a league run more by guards, Towns is the highest need (and best fit) for the Wolves.

But, is this really a sealed deal?

Yesterday, Adam Zagoria made the blatant guarantee that Minnesota will take Towns with the No. 1 pick Thursday night. Zagoria said the following:

"Minnesota also worked out Okafor, Ohio State guard Russell and point guard Emmanuel Mudiah, who played in China last season, last week but have now settled on Towns, the presumptive favorite all along to go No. 1."

If this was any other team, I think I'd buy every word. But the Minnesota sports fan in me says, very cautiously, "I'll believe it when I see it."

I'll believe that Towns is joining Wiggins & Co. when he walks up to that stage Thursday, shakes Adam Silver's hand, and dons the Wolves hat.

And let's not forget, when Towns was asked about Minnesota promising to take him first, he denied that report.

This may of course be a smoke screen, and Towns could very well be playing the "vague" card on purpose, as Krawczynski suggested in a later Twitter post, but I prefer to wait and see.

Towns has said some positive things about Minnesota, and he seems more interested in playing here than Okafor does, which is a good sign. He mentioned that it doesn't matter how successful a team is historically, because "it can all change with one pick," and he also said the following about the possibility of joining All-Star Kevin Garnett in the Land of 10,000 Lakes:

"It would be a blessing and an honor to even have a chance to play for Minnesota and be able to have the chance to play for a great organization and learn from a great mentor like Kevin Garnett."

And let's remember--there's been no deal made with KG yet, either.

This is Lindsey the [Hopeful but] Jaded, signing off ...