Though there is still much deliberation to be had over the next week-and-a-half prior to the 2020 NBA Draft on Nov. 18, it appears LaMelo Ball may be emerging above the rest. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, NBA front offices are the league expect Ball to be the No. 1 pick in next week’s draft.
“Unless a surprise trade completely disrupts the top of the draft, LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman are likely to make up the top three in some order, according to conversations with multiple team executives, scouts and agents. Most NBA front offices are operating under the assumption that Ball is going No. 1 — either to the Minnesota Timberwolves or a team that trades up to select him.”
Givony’s report comes a week after suggestions that Ball would not even be a top-five pick and was in danger of falling out of the top ten. But Givony, who is the most plugged-in person when it comes into the draft, has never wavered on Ball being one of the top prospects in the draft.
The Timberwolves will now have an interesting choice of weighing whether to seek out a trade of the No. 1 pick or stand pat and potentially select Ball. The team has long had those discussions in the nearly six months without basketball but in the final weeks, those talks will likely heat up.