The Minnesota Timberwolves are officially on the clock after winning the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery on Thursday night and thus securing the rights to draft No. 1 overall. The Wolves shared 14% odds with Golden State and Cleveland to win the lottery, but the Warriors fell to No. 2 and the Cavs fell to No. 5. Rounding out the top five of this year's lottery, the Hornets will pick third and the Bulls will pick fourth.
Now all that's left to do is mock draft for the first time not with projections, but with the set-in-stone order of the 2020 NBA Draft. Let's get to it.
NBA Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
Fit may be the most important consideration for Minnesota at No. 1, and with D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns in place, Anthony Edwards gives the Timberwolves the most obvious plug-and-play prospect that fits the team's timeline for winning now. He's a 6-foot-5 wing who can create his own shot, has endless athleticism, and holds real potential to be a plus-defender when he's locked in. "There's a lot of things he's going to have to figure out at the next level to be successful," one scout told me recently. "But he's an exceptional talent."
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Round 1 - Pick 2
 
LaMelo Ball
PG
USA
• Sr
• 6'7"
/ 180 lbs
Golden State will use this draft asset aggressively in potential trade talks, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday. But LaMelo Ball is perhaps the prospect who could fit best if the Warriors hold tight. He has elite court vision and feel and could use the time learning behind Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to mature physically. With a 6-6 frame and playmaking skills to boot, he has All-Star potential and could help the Warriors even in their thinning championship window.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
The Hornets already have an established rising star in Devonte' Graham at point guard -- he represented the team on lottery night -- so they may see fit to getting him help down low. Wiseman with his 7-1 frame and 7-6 wingspan would qualify, and he makes for a potentially brilliant fit alongside PJ Washington in the frontcourt. Said one scout of him: "I think Wiseman is the guy that can be the No. 1 player from this class if all goes well for him."
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Round 1 - Pick 4
 
Deni Avdija
SF
Israel
• Sr
• 6'9"
/ 240 lbs
Israeli star Deni Avdija is a point forward-type prospect with great playmaking skills who could help alleviate the offensive load in Chi-town. He's also been a winner everywhere he's been. At just 19 years old, he's a two-time Israeli League champion, Israeli League MVP, and a two-time FIBA European champ. With Chicago's recent front-office shakeup, it wouldn't be surprising to see them gravitate towards his upside. He finished the season on a high note for Maccabi Tel Aviv and has improved both as a scorer and with his physicality in recent months.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Cleveland has heavily invested in its backcourt with Darius Garland and Collin Sexton being drafted in the top 10 each of the last two years, and while neither are superstar building blocks, it's too early to give up on them yet. So in an effort to ensure they have the chance to succeed, they draft Isaac Okoro, a big-bodied wing who should fit into the starting spot at wing and give them a switchable defender at the position right away.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
The Hawks ranked dead-last in the league in team 3-point shooting last season, and so Aaron Nesmith accomplishes two things: he gives them a solid 3-point shooter, and he also gives Trae Young a needed weapon who can drill shots off spot-ups. He hit 52.2% of his 3-pointers at Vanderbilt last season and while his year was cut short due to injury, he's regarded as one of the best pure shooters in this draft.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
 
Killian Hayes
PG
France
• Sr
• 6'5"
/ 195 lbs
Detroit should have an eye on its future at point guard with Derrick Rose aging, making Killian Hayes a wise investment for its future. He just turned 19 years old and is already an accomplished international star, having won MVP honors at the FIBA Europe U16s three years ago and working his way into a top-10 caliber prospect in the years since because of the blend of playmaking and vision he possesses.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Addressing the point guard position should be priority No. 1 for Leon Rose and the Knicks. Tyrese Haliburton can step in and potentially be that answer. Teams feel confident he's a high-floor, safe player because of his efficient college production, length and attitude. He doesn't have a quick first step and lacks top tier athleticism, but New York could find him to be a capable distributor who helps meld the young pieces into a competent team. For the Knicks, that in itself seems like a win.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Washington needs a lot of help in a lot of different places, but Obi Toppin fits the biggest need and has the most potential star power. The reigning Naismith National Player of the Year is a lob threat on every possession and would give the Wizards a dynamic leaper who could crash the boards and play above the rim. The hope is that those lob finishes would come from a healthy Brad Beal and John Wall in a core the front office clearly isn't ready to give up on just yet.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Kira Lewis is a speedy mad man who can change directions, get to the hoop and create his own look. As scouts have told me, he's sometimes too quick. Learning how to stop and go and control tempo is his next growing point. But the physical tools, solid shooting mechanics and creation abilities are worthy of a flier for the Suns who need depth at guard to pair with Devin Booker and an intriguing young core.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Onyeka Okongwu profiles as a more traditional big man, with post skills and a lack of scoring punch outside the perimeter. But he's shown some promising touch and is surprisingly agile, having guarded post to perimeter at USC moderately well. His shot-blocking and scoring ability make for two foundational traits the Spurs can mold into becoming their power forward of the future.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
It remains unclear how Vlade Divac's ouster might affect the current roster in Sacramento, but Cole Anthony could theoretically be a part of a rebuild or a decision to stand pat. He can make shots in a variety of different ways and is creative as a finisher, too. At the very least he gives the Kings a backup lead guard, and a lethal off-the-bench scoring option.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
As a freshman at Florida State last season, Patrick Williams' numbers weren't eye-popping -- he was just a high-level role player who did a lot of things well without much fanfare. But scouts I've talked to rave about him and his NBA potential because of his size (6-8), wingspan (6-11) and defensive playmaking potential. Wings with his skill and feel don't come around often. He's a raw product offensively and there's physical development that may be needed before he reaches his potential, but teams see in him a role player in the NBA like he was in college, and that's a perfect fit in New Orleans with a star like Zion Williamson already in place.
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From
Memphis Grizzlies
Round 1 - Pick 14
Boston's done an incredible job drafting length and athleticism on the wing and developing players with those traits into valuable players. Devin Vassell falls exactly in line with that recent draft history and ideology. He's long and skilled and projects as a 3-and-D wing who can make plays with his length on the wing and doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Orlando's backcourt could use a refresh to potentially add some zest around Markelle Fultz. Tyrese Maxey could give the Magic a shakeup in that regard because of his elite on-ball defense and ability to create as a straight-line driver. He's likely not going to be a true lead guard, so his sub-30% 3-point shooting at Kentucky is of concern, but his shot mechanics are smooth and his pedigree suggests he's in line for a course correction. If his season at UK turns out to be a blip, he'll emerge as one of the top 10 players from this class and be a productive guard in Orlando.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Portland's got a good thing going with Dame Lillard and CJ McCollum scoring the Trail Blazers -- quite literally -- a playoff berth. Yet the Trail Blazers regularly rank among the bottom of the NBA teams in defensive efficiency. Saddiq Bey would be an immediate boost to that end -- he's 6-9 and one of the most tenacious, switchable defenders in this draft -- plus he's a reliable spot-up shooter from distance who could mesh well with what they already have in place.
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From
Brooklyn Nets
Round 1 - Pick 17
After grabbing Tyrese Haliburton earlier in this draft, let's get Minnesota some help down low defensively with Xavier Tillman, one of the most savvy and strong bigs in this draft class. Tillman sets hard screens, plays above his size and does all the little things that contribute to big winning -- the type of selfless player the Wolves need to maximize D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns. He should be able to shore up their bottom-10 defense and improve the team's frontcourt defense specifically, which is dragged down by Towns, who this season ranked 407th out of 529 players in defensive win shares.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
With a 6-9 frame and a 7-2 wingspan, Precious Achiuwa's best asset is his size, length -- and how he uses it. He was a monster rebounder at Memphis and that strength, coupled with his rim-running ability and energizing style of play, should translate well to the NBA.
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From
Philadelphia 76ers
Round 1 - Pick 19
Brooklyn needs depth at shooting guard so much it brought 40-year-old Jamal Crawford out of retirement to finish out the season. Moving forward, Josh Green may be a more spry solution. He's an athletic two-way guard with great size and role-playing potential who impacts the game with his defense and off-ball smarts -- two key traits for blending in with a Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant-starred roster.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Let's be clear about this: Tyrell Terry is not ready to contribute substantially to an NBA team, much less a playoff team. At least not yet. But for a savvy franchise like Miami, he may be a lottery ticket in a few years when he physically develops, and he's worthy of that gamble. He's already a star because of his shot-making ability and there's plenty of tools in his bag that project him to be a really valuable scorer in the NBA from any range.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
The Sixers need someone who can create their own shot and run the offense, and Grant Riller -- a four-year player at Charleston -- can fill both those needs. He's a ridiculously skilled creator who can pull-up and score but also gets to the rim easily and has good finishing ability. His vision isn't advanced, but his offensive firepower and capability of making basic reads would lift Philadelphia's thin backcourt.
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From
Houston Rockets
Round 1 - Pick 22
 
Theo Maledon
PG
France
• Jr
• 6'4"
/ 175 lbs
Denver runs its offense in a non-traditional way through Nikola Jokic, the best passing big in the league. But Theo Maledon's ability to generate offense off the bounce and play either guard position could benefit the Nuggets and their backcourt, giving them a versatile player who could run the offense and score off the ball.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
 
Leandro Bolmaro
SF
Argentina
• Fr
• 6'6"
/ 200 lbs
The Jazz value wings who are capable playmakers and passers, and Leandro Bolmaro -- a 6-7 international prospect -- checks those boxes. He can create off the dribble and is electric with the ball in his hands. When he's playing downhill he can generate offense and act as an initiator, which would lighten the load for Donovan Mitchell. Bolmaro's still got work to do as a 3-point shooter, but his size and creation has point-forward potential Utah would undoubtedly find hard to pass on.
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From
Indiana Pacers
Round 1 - Pick 24
 
Aleksej Pokusevski
C
Serbia
• Sr
• 7'0"
/ 190 lbs
The biggest X-factor of the first round, Pokusevski is a high-risk, high-reward international player with great size and fluidity who has star potential. (Sound familiar, Milwaukee?) "He has great size, but he's very skinny," one scout told me of him. "He's a roster development type of guy that I think teams will have higher than what people think." Milwaukee already has a championship-caliber roster so looking ahead to the future with a player of Poku's upside would be wise.
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From
Denver Nuggets
Round 1 - Pick 25
The Thunder have a big man to build around with Steven Adams, but Jalen Smith's ability to knock down 3-pointers and block shots would give OKC a change of pace big who could be equally effective in a smaller role. His value lies in being a reliable floor-spacer and opening up the offense.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Isaiah Stewart has some throwback big-man vibes but a promising shooting touch that many believe, in time, will translate to 3-point success in the NBA. But whether that comes or not, he's a hard-nosed rebounder and defender who could give the Celtics toughness in the post and developmental depth at a position it needs to address.
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From
Los Angeles Clippers
Round 1 - Pick 27
Cassius Stanley's athleticism and hops are jaw-dropping, but it's his tenacious defensive mentality and off-ball smarts that portend best for his NBA success. He's a low-usage wing who doesn't need the ball to affect winning basketball, which is a perfect recipe for success with RJ Barrett and likely another lead guard out of this draft to play alongside.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
The Lakers are the second-worst 3-point scoring team to make the playoffs this year, and that is frankly unacceptable. LeBron James needs reliable 3-point shooters around him to succeed. In Desmond Bane they could find at least a reliable bench scorer: he made 43.3% of his 575 3-point attempts at TCU, and thrived in roles ranging from little-used role player to often-used leading scorer.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
 
Killian Tillie
PF
Gonzaga
• Soph
• 6'9"
/ 220 lbs
Killian Tillie is a first-round prospect despite nagging injuries the last two years because of his size, smarts and scoring ability. He made 44.4% of his 239 3-point attempts in four seasons at Gonzaga and has immediate value as a floor-spacing big who can play team defense at a high level if he's able to stay healthy.
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From
Milwaukee Bucks
Round 1 - Pick 30
There was a lot of inconsistency in Jaden McDaniels's play at Washington as a freshman, but when you break him down the truth is that it's hard to find a 6-9 wing who moves the way he can and has the handles he does. There's enough to work with to validate him as a first-rounder despite some real concerns about his strength and motor.
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