Dane Moore NBA Podcast: Paths for Trading the No. 1 Pick

If the Minnesota Timberwolves put the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 Draft on the table as a potential trade chip, I see three paths that can be pursued:

• Sweetener for a Stud

The pick could be used as a sweetener in a trade to acquire a “stud”. In other words: A deal that pairs the No. 1 overall pick with cap filler, the likes of James Johnson and/or Jarrett Culver, in order to bring back one higher level talent to be paired with Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell.

• Trade Back

The pick could be traded back in the lottery to a team who is willing to give up future draft capital in order to move up to the No. 1 overall pick. After trading their 2021 first round pick to Golden State in the Andrew Wiggins deal, the Wolves are without a pick in what projects to be a loaded 2021 Draft.

• Trade Back to Stack

I see this path as the most-likely to be pursued by the Wolves front office. A move that combines the “Trade Back” path with the “Sweetener for a Stud” path. By trading the No. 1 pick back into the lottery, the Wolves could feasibly acquire future draft capital that could be paired with Johnson, Culver and/or Malik Beasley in a trade during the 2020 offseason. This stacking process, in my opinion, is the only way the Wolves could get the ball rolling on an eventual trade for a player like Devin Booker or Ben Simmons.

Jack Borman joins the pod to break down a number of “fake trades” that fit these three paths. Click play for all the speculation.

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