The Timberwolves own the 27th and 37th picks in the June 26-27 NBA draft and logic says there’s a good chance they’ll target a point guard with one of their selections.
“We are always in search of point guard options,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said June 7 when asked about the plan at point guard as Mike Conley’s career winds down. “We have some good ones on our roster. Monte Morris we felt could really help us. He was kind of sidelined by a bunch of injuries so he never was able to get into a rhythm. If he’s back next year I’m confident that he’ll be a major contributor to our rotation. Jordan McLaughlin did an unbelievable job this year. But we do need to find kind of an heir apparent there. Mike has been great and will continue to be great, but if we were able to find a young person who he could help mentor too, that would be ideal.”
Who are the top point guards in the draft and which of them might be available when the Timberwolves pick?
There’s a strong chance that the top point guards – Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, Stephon Castle, Devon Carter and Nikola Topic – will be gone within the first 15 picks. That leaves the likes Carlton Carrington, Tyler Kolek, Isaiah Collier, Jared McCain, KJ Simpson, Trey Alexander, AJ Johnson and Juan Nunez could be targets.
The 6-foot-4 freshman from Pittsburgh averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game this past season and most mocks have him going before the 20th pick, so him falling to 27 is probably a reach. At only 19 he has upside, but is Minnesota going to take a player who might need two or three years to learn and mature for the NBA? He also needs to improve his sho after making just 41.2% of his attempts including 32.1% from 3-point range.
The 6-foot-5 guard from USC struggled in 2023-24 after being considered one of the top point guards in the 2024 draft class. Has his stock fallen enough to get him to drop to 27? Probably not, but if he’s there at 27 he would make a lot of sense for Minnesota.
“When Collier is at his best, his combination of size, changing speeds, live-dribble passing and bully-ball finishing give him a semblance of star power that few prospects in this draft can match,” ESPN’s scouting report on him says.
The Marquette guard is 23 and would be ready to contribute right away. He led the nation in assists this past season and despite not being a freak athlete he is widely considered as an elite floor general who is tough and can finish through contact. He gets a lot of comps to T.J. McConnell, which screams role player in the NBA, but does he have a starting guard ceiling? That’s what Minnesota needs.
“Although some scouts find it hard to see past Kolek’s limited measurables and athleticism, he has the chops to run a team at a high level and a strong college career under his belt at Marquette,” writes ESPN’s Jeremy Woo. “Just a handful of experienced, quality point guards are in this class, and at this range, a playoff-caliber team should take a shot on him as a developmental backup.”
The freshman standout hit eight 3s in Duke’s second-round tournament win over James Madison. McCain, who is also a star on the social media app TikTok, shot 41.3% from 3 and averaged 14.3 points per game for the Blue Devils. He’s only 6-foot-2, but he can shoot the lights out and that’s a trait that would go a long way in Minnesota. Again, the Wolves might have to get lucky to see the former five-star recruit fall to them at 27.
Nunez, 19, is mocked to the Timberwolves by Jeremy Woo of ESPN.
“Nunez has dimensions closer to that of an NBA wing than a point guard, but he is one of the best passers in this draft class, an absolute pick-and-roll maestro thanks to his outstanding creativity and feel for the game,” Woo writes. “The Timberwolves might feel like they could get him with their No. 37 pick rather than drafting him here, but there might not be many great point guard options available in the second round.”
Nunez, a career 27.1% 3-point shooter, has worked out for the Timberwolves and he says he plans to stay in the draft although he will likely be playing alongside Ricky Rubio and the Spain national team in preparation for the Paris Olympics.
The 6-foot-1 guard from Colorado doesn’t have great size for the NBA, but his 40.5-inch vertical tied Bronny James at the NBA scouting combine so there isn’t a lack of lift in his game. Simpson stood out at the scouting combine in Chicago, and it is not known if the Timberwolves, who had him in for a workout in Minneapolis, are interested enough to consider him a future starter in the league.
Simpson averaged more than 19 points and shot better than 43% from 3-point range last season.
He fits the mold for Minnesota as he is long and athletic. He’s 6-foot-4 and has a 6-10 wingspan, according to HoopsHype. The junior from Creighton averaged 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 33% from 3. NBADraft.net compares his game to Alec Burks and Andrew Nembhard, who are high-quality NBA players. Can he play the point in the NBA?
He’s a 6-foot-6 point guard who played in Australia – and barely played – instead of going to college. Johnson flashed at the scouting combine and saw his draft stock rise, with some reports saying he was “quick of the dribble” and was impressive enough that he could sneak into the first round based on his potential. He is definitely a project, though. Does Minnesota have time to wait for him?
