The 2015 NBA Draft is just eight days away, but we still don't know which way the Minnesota Timberwolves are leaning with the No. 1 overall pick. The team's front office is reportedly split between Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor, with D'Angelo Russell, Kristaps Porzingis and Emmanuel Mudiay also on the fringes.
NBA Draft rumors 2015: Timberwolves still split between Karl Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor
The Timberwolves have about a week to figure out which player they’ll select with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Minnesota’s top decision-maker and head coach, Flip Saunders, prefers Okafor, but the rest of the front office wants Towns, according to Chad Ford’s latest mock draft. Saunders’ staff has been trying to convince him to select the Kentucky big man, who they believe to be a better fit with the team’s other personnel.
Saunders recently visited Thousand Oaks to watch Towns work out, and Ford says he has “kept getting assured that Flip will ultimately turn Towns’ way.” It’s not a sure thing, however, given that Saunders has always liked Okafor and could override the request of his staff in favor of the Duke star.
Okafor visited Minnesota on Tuesday and Wednesday, although that’s not necessarily a sign of the Timberwolves’ intentions. Team officials also went to Las Vegas to watch Porzingis work out, have a workout scheduled with Mudiay and want to meet with Russell.
Towns remains the favorite, but the top of the draft is still a mystery just a week out.
Sixers’ interest in Porzingis is a smoke screen?
Rumors tying the Philadelphia 76ers to Porzingis have been circling recently, and Ford has the Latvian big man going with the No. 3 pick in his latest mock. Executives around the league have been warming up to the 19-year-old, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. "Every day, he’s moving himself closer into contention to become one of the top three picks," Woj writes.
The Sixers don't seem like a great fit for Porzingis, however, and Ford says one rival GM believes the interest is a "smoke screen" to drum up interest in the pick. The Orlando Magic are known to be big fans of Porzingis, and Ford says his camp prefers he land there, too. It all leads to the possibility that Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie is trying to get Orlando -- or another team -- to give up an asset to move up to No. 3 to get Porzingis.
There are certainly teams that think he’s worth that kind of pick. “If the draft was one year from now, I think Porzingis goes No. 1. He’s just not fully formed yet and that’s getting in the way of people’s decisions,” a former Executive of the Year said to Wojnarowski.
The 76ers don't really need another young big man with Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid already on the roster, and could be able to get a targeted guard a few picks later. Hinkie has never been shy about maneuvering to land extra picks, and maybe that's what he's trying to do here while landing someone like Mudiay at No. 5.
Boston fell out of the lottery by rallying to make the playoffs in the second half of the season. Now left with the No. 16 pick, the Celtics are trying to trade up in the first round, according to Ford.
One possible landing spot for the Celtics could be the Charlotte Hornets’ selection at No. 9. The Hornets reportedly are considering trading down to target a wing like R.J. Hunter or Kelly Oubre, and would likely be able to get a player like that several picks down. Boston, meanwhile, has been targeting the Hornets’ pick, and Ford says the team “would especially be thrilled” if Willie Cauley-Stein was still on the board.
The Hornets and Celtics could also keep their respective picks and go with top guys off the board. Ford projects Devin Booker as Charlotte’s pick at No. 9, while the Celtics take Oubre 16th overall.
Did the Rockets shut down Tyus Jones?
Jones hasn’t visited with any other teams since suffering a back injury during a workout with Houston. The injury may be legitimate, but Ford says some GMs have “whispered that the Rockets may have shut him down.” It’s possible Houston assured Jones he wouldn’t fall beyond the team’s No. 18 pick, and that convinced the 19-year-old to pack it in and wait for the draft.
It's all speculation, so there's the possibility that Jones indeed injured himself bad enough to stop working out, but he would be a strong fit in Houston. The Rockets were forced to turn to Jason Terry at point guard last year after Patrick Beverley went down, and Jones would likely be an upgrade there in time.
SB Nation presents: How to construct an NBA champion
See More:
