The Minnesota Timberwolves landed the first pick of the 2015 NBA Draft in the league’s annual lottery in Manhattan on Tuesday night, giving them a huge boost.
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Minnesota had a 25 percent chance of securing the top pick based on them finishing bottom of the standings last season with 66 losses over the course of the campaign.
However, they won big on Tuesday as they look to continue to rebuild as they will now select first at the Draft in Brooklyn on June 25, with the Los Angeles Lakers taking the second pick.
The Philadelphia 76ers drew the third choice, the New York Knicks fourth and the Orlando Magic will have the fifth overall pick when the next group of young prospects descend on the Big Apple next month.
It is widely expected that either Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor will go first, although D’Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay are also options depending on what the Timberwolves believe they need the most.
“Having the No. 1 pick gives us the opportunity to really evaluate everybody and really see what direction we want to go,” Minnesota president and coach Flip Saunders said, according to ESPN.
“At this point, we’re open. We’ll pick the best player for us on June 25.”
This could be a significant moment in the franchise’s history given that they continue to add top talent to their roster which suggests that they have a bright future ahead.
After trading Kevin Love last summer for Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, two top picks from 2014 and 2013 respectively, they will add another No.1 overall pick to their team this summer.
While that doesn’t necessarily guarantee success, it certainly gives their fans hope that they can enjoy some success in the years to come, or at least be able to boast a wealth of assets to be used in future trade deals.
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