There’s been a lot of debate since the NBA Draft Lottery about the Minnesota Timberwolves and who they intend to draft with the number one overall pick on June 25. The logical choice seems to be taking Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns, but there’s been rumors circulating around the league about head coach Flip Saunders favoring Jahlil Okafor.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
According to Mark Heisler of Forbes, Saunders appears to changed his tune and now favors Towns over Okafor:
Minnesota GM/coach Flip Saunders, who had been leaning toward Okafor, is said to have turned pro-Towns after seeing him last week in Los Angeles.
The splash sent ripples throughout the NBA. Says an insider: “There’s no doubt, the T-Wolves are taking Towns.”
Although Towns has yet to workout for an NBA team, the former Wildcats star did have a joint workout with fellow draft prospects D’Angelo Russell and Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky) recently. Footage of the workout was made public and many were impressive with Towns’ versatility.
The Kentucky product appears to have sold the Timberwolves on drafting him with the top pick in the draft later this month. Although it remains speculation, it still seems as though Towns will land in Minnesota with Okafor falling to the Lakers.
There’s no question that Towns is an incredibly talented player with perhaps the highest ceiling of the two centers, but the Lakers brass were impressed with Okafor and may already be sold on the notion of drafting him.
Now the Lakers can only wait to see if Minnesota does what everyone believes they will. Despite Towns being a solid prospect and possibly the best player in the draft, Los Angeles appears content with Okafor being the next great center to wear purple and gold.
[divide]