MINNEAPOLIS — Almost from the moment the Timberwolves got the top pick in Wednesday's NBA draft, President Gersson Rosas has tried to temper the expectations that go along with such an asset.
"We're not praying this guy is a franchise piece," Rosas said the day after the Wolves won the lottery. "We're not praying that this guy is our No. 1 player."
Rosas' point was that the Wolves already have their top franchise players in center Karl-Anthony Towns and guard D'Angelo Russell.
But there's no denying that what happens Wednesday will be franchise-altering for the Wolves — one way or the other. There are still multiple paths the Wolves may take with this pick. They may trade it, potentially to move down in the draft or for an established player or some combination of both.
But they may stick with the pick. While this draft doesn't have a no-doubt No. 1 pick like Zion Williamson a year ago, there seems to be a consensus top three — Georgia's Anthony Edwards, center James Wiseman, who played only three games at Memphis, and LaMelo Ball, who played in Australia a year ago and is the brother of Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball.
In his comments after the draft, Rosas also made sure to say the Wolves were going to draft the best player available, regardless of how he fit on the roster. Take the best player and make it work.
"It's not something where you pick a guy, you plug a hole and you move forward," Rosas said. "You pick a guy, you build an organization, you build a program, and it takes time."
Here's how these three players may help (or not) in that process.
