Sources are saying LaMelo Ball will be the top pick in the NBA Draft by the Timberwolves, meaning Anthony Edwards would fall to the Golden State Warriors.
With NBA Draft preparations slowly starting to begin, there has been a lot of speculation over what the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors will do with the No. 1 and 2 overall picks in the NBA Draft respectively. Antony Edwards out of Georgia has long been assumed to be the best prospect in this 2020 draft class, but sources are saying that LaMelo Ball seems to have the edge over Edwards as it pertains to the Timberwolves.
Jonathan Wasserman, a lead NBA scout/draft writer for Bleacher Report, wrote on Monday about what Minnesota is likely to do with the No. 1 overall pick and the possibility of LaMelo Ball being selected first. In his NBA Draft Buzz article, Wasserman talked about what he has been hearing about LaMelo Ball and the Timberwolves:
"“The belief is that Minnesota’s priority is to trade, realistically down the board assuming an established star won’t become available. If the Wolves stick at No. 1, multiple sources say they’d bet on LaMelo Ball having the edge over Anthony Edwards.”"
If the T-Wolves do keep the first-overall pick and selected Ball, this would mean Anthony Edwards would fall to the Golden State Warriors at No. 2 Overall.
This gives Golden State a lot of options as usual seeing that Anthony Edwards is undoubtedly at the top of many teams draft boards and these teams would potentially like to trade up and select him. Anthony Edwards may make a lot of sense though for the Warriors to select and not trade away if he falls to them at No. 2 overall.
In one season at Georgia, the 6’5” guard was named the 2019-20 SEC Freshman of the Year, was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and was named First-Team All-SEC. Edwards averaged 19.1 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 2.8 assists per game and 1.3 steals per game in 32 games for Georgia. He was not the best three-point shooter, only shooting 29.4% from deep, but with the volume of shots Edwards took every game (15.8 attempts per game) and the pressure that was put on him by being Georgia’s main scoring option as a freshman, there is a lot of potential for growth and sustainable success in the NBA.
If the Warriors hold onto the No. 2 overall pick and select Anthony Edwards, it would give them the wing depth they so desperately need. Behind Klay Thompson and now Andrew Wiggins on the wing, the Warriors do not have many “go-to” scoring options they can pull off the bench and not be “rolling the dice” with. The addition of Anthony Edwards would not only give the Warriors a young, athletic and proven scorer for their second-unit, but a player that can be built around for years to come.
Whether the Timberwolves hold onto the first-overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft or not, LaMelo Ball being the first name called is the best draft night scenario for the Warriors. With the abundance of teams that love Edwards’ athletic abilities and potential, Golden State would be facing a win-win scenario if they trade Edwards or draft him.