NBA Draft 2020: Biggest winners and losers from the Draft Lottery

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 20: (L-R) NBA Draft prospects Coby White, Zion Williamson, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Ja Morant and De'Andre Hunter stand on stage with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver before the start of the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – FEBRUARY 08: (L-R) Juan Hernangomez #41, Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and D’Angelo Russell #0 of the Minnesota Timberwolves (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Winner: Minnesota Timberwolves

It wouldn’t be a proper winners and losers listicle without proclaiming Minnesota as the biggest winner of the lottery, having entered the evening with the third-worst record in the NBA (19-45) and a 14% shot at the top selection. The lottery gods were seemingly on the side of the lowly Timberwolves, gifting them the No. 1 pick and granting them the opportunity to choose between a 6’7 playmaking savant in LaMelo Ball and an explosive 6’5 two-guard in Anthony Edwards.

Executive Gersson Rosas heads into the offseason with the not-so-simple task of building a competitive supporting cast around franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns and the recently-acquired D’Angelo Russell. Offense is of no concern; crafting a rotation that can survive on defense, however, is a challenge that may prove to be insurmountable.

For example: in the 25 minutes that the two shared the floor this season, Minnesota gave up a defensive rating of … 144.3 points per 100 possessions. Sample size theater to be sure, but both players are disastrous negatives on the defensive, and finding three reliable defenders to squeeze between them won’t be easy.

Because of this, it would behoove Rosas to make some calls around the league to see if he can move back while also adding an established player. Would Atlanta offer one of their wings to move up from sixth so that they can draft Edwards, a Georgia native? Are the Knicks so star hungry that they’d ship out the few assets they have to bring Ball to the Mecca? Is a package built around Aaron Gordon, No. 15, and other pieces enough to trade with Orlando? Finding a legitimate trade partner is a tricky endeavor, but at the very least, the Timberwolves have options with the No. 1 pick.

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