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After entering the evening as one of three teams with the highest odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves walked away as the big winners of the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery on Thursday night.
The Timberwolves finished as one of the three worst teams, along with the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the NBA prior to the season suspension in March after posting a 19-45 record. The three teams each had a 14% chance of winning the top pick.
The NBA Draft Lottery was originally scheduled to take place on May 19 but was postponed due to the coronavirus virus. The 14 teams involved each had a representative that appeared virtually for the first time as D’Angelo Russell proved to be the good luck charm for Minnesota.
“[It’s] super exciting,” Russell told Rachel Nichols on ESPN afterward. “I trust [team president] Gersson [Rosas] and [head coach] Ryan [Saunders] and all of those guys to continue making Minnesota home for some of the younger guys coming up and even for some All-Star guys coming in. I think the bar is set now so we’re excited to get it going.”
Several prospects are expected to be in consideration for the top pick. Players like LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and Obi Toppin have been mentioned as the most common choices but there isn’t a clear-cut choice like there was last year with Zion Williamson.
The complete first-round order of the 2020 NBA Draft:
| Pick | Team |
| 1. | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2. | Golden State Warriors |
| 3. | Charlotte Hornets |
| 4. | Chicago Bulls |
| 5. | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 6. | Atlanta Hawks |
| 7. | Detroit Pistons |
| 8. | New York Knicks |
| 9. | Washington Wizards |
| 10. | Phoenix Suns |
| 11. | San Antonio Spurs |
| 12. | Sacramento Kings |
| 13. | New Orleans Pelicans |
| 14. | Boston Celtics |
| 15. | Orlando Magic |
| 16. | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 17. | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 18. | Dallas Mavericks |
| 19. | Brooklyn Nets |
| 20. | Miami Heat |
| 21. | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 22. | Denver Nuggets |
| 23. | Utah Jazz |
| 24. | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 25. | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 26. | Boston Celtics |
| 27. | New York Knicks |
| 28. | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 29. | Toronto Raptors |
| 30. | Boston Celtics |
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