Second pick! And still one too late…
When can a pro basketball team receive their best draft pick in franchise history and still feel messed over by the results? When that team is the Minnesota Timberwolves, their biggest need is point-guard, and the only position guaranteed to land the best point guard in the draft is the top overall pick.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have tons of needs after the exit of LeBron James via free agency last summer to Miami, and point guard might not be the Cav’s most glaring need, but for a team that needs everything from power forwards to plant stands, it would be hard to pass by the consensus top pick overall, which this year seems to be Duke point guard Kyrie Irving.
That leaves small forward Derrick Williams of Arizona as the only other true marquee player on the board, and he plays at a forward position the Wolves are rich in talent at.
The far bigger need for the Wolves is a true point guard, and with Spanish draftee Ricky Rubio still sounding hesitant to join the Wolves next season (barring a strike or lockout, in which case the whole thing’s moot anyway) the Wolves need Irving desperately. Quite a pickle for a team that, only a couple seasons ago, drafted three point guards.
Of course, one they traded on draft night; another was the Hamlet-esque Rubio, and then there’s Jonny Flynn, who looked promising his first season, but whose career flamed out due to injury this past season and isn’t expected back. Also not expected back is Sebastian Telfair, a free agent. That leaves the team with Luke Ridenour, who’s good, but better as a back-up.
While Rubio would sell tickets, if he ever decides to join the team, so would Irving … who would be a much better bet to join the Wolves whenever “next season” actually starts.
Certainly, the Wolves could select Kentucky point guard Brandon Knight, but he’s not expected to go anywhere near the second overall pick, and would be considered a reach. So that has inspired many “the Wolves will trade down to take Knight” scenarios.
However, there might be a more graceful, everyone wins solution remaining.
David Kahn should get on the phone with Cleveland and make him an offer he can’t refuse. The Wolves will give Cleveland the second pick in the draft, so they can take Derrick Williams as the heir-apparent to the departed James and Minnesota can select Kyrie Irving, the point guard they really need.
In exchange for the swap of picks, the Wolves will agree to send the rights to Ricky Rubio to Cleveland, unloading the headache-inducing Spanish high flyer on a team that’s at least closer to the East Coast and perhaps more to Rubio’s liking.
Sounds like a winning formula to me.
