Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns or somebody else? That is the question that awaits the Minnesota Timberwolves after winning the NBA draft lottery Tuesday night. The Timberwolves had the best odds at landing the top pick at 25 percent and is now on the clock until draft night, June 25.
Minnesota general manager Milt Newton and head coach Flip Saunders will now get to spend the next month pouring over film and deciding who to take with the top pick. Okafor—who led Duke to the 2015 national title—and Towns—whose Kentucky did not lose until the Final Four—figure to be the top two names off the board, but each brings different talents to the block as an NBA center.
Former Blue Devil Justise Winslow is also slated as a likely lottery pick. The Houston native is currently pegged fifth or sixth according to various mock drafts, which if accurate would send the swingman to either the Orlando Magic or the Sacramento Kings.
Duke's starting backcourt from its championship squad, Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones, are unlikely to hear their names called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver during the lottery portion of the draft. Jones is currently projected as a mid-to-late first round pick, and Cook will look to build on a solid NBA draft combine performance during pre-draft workouts and interviews to land himself on a pro roster come draft night.
Okafor predetermined his NBA draft night fate during his time with Bleacher Report, as the ACC Player of the Year utilized a skill honed by many a college student to discover his landing spot with a game of "NBA Pong." As you can see in the video below, the big man's shooting touch will leave fans of the New York Knicks feeling pretty good about the future of their frontcourt. That dream was likely squashed, though, as the Knicks were passed by the Los Angeles Lakers and fell to the No. 4 pick in the draft.
The full results of the lottery are listed below:
No. 1: Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 2: Los Angeles Lakers
No. 3: Philadelphia 76ers
No. 4: New York Knicks
No. 5: Orlando Magic
No. 6: Sacramento Kings
No. 7: Denver Nuggets
No. 8: Detroit Pistons
No. 9: Charlotte Hornets
No. 10: Miami Heat
No. 11: Indiana Pacers
No. 12: Utah Jazz
No. 13: Phoenix Suns
No. 14: Oklahoma City Thunder
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.