The NBA draft is less than a month away and the LA Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks are targeting players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay and Willie Cauley-Stein in the top 3 selections and there is a chance the Knicks could trade back in the first round.
The draft has Okafor and Towns the presumptive top picks coming into the summer, but things could change with workouts leading up to the actual draft. Okafor and Towns did not participate in the draft combine and those two should get long looks from the teams at the top. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Timberwolves "really like" Okafor and there is a chance he could go number one over Towns.
Coming into the season Okafor was considered to be the number one player coming out of the draft, but Towns overtook him with his strong play in the NCAA tournament. Most mock drafts and draft experts have Towns over Okafor, but that doesn't mean the Wolves will definitely pick him number one. Glen Taylor said the team would consider trades for the pick, but that the team is very likely to keep it. The Wolves would be the first team with three straight number one overall picks on the same roster.
The Lakers are in the best position in the draft, as they jumped up from number four in the standings to number two. The team now can wait and see who is available and according to Pro Basketball Talk, the team is looking at Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay as the top players on their draft board, but Towns is also ranked very high. Chad Ford at ESPN reports that the Lakers will take a serious look at Mudiay and that Okafor also could be an option if he is available at two.
The Sixers come in at the three spot and most mock drafts have the team looking at D'Angelo Russell. Ford writes that the Lakers could consider Russell or Mudiay, but with the emergence of Jordan Clarkson, they may want a big man. The Sixers likely will take Russell if he is available, while the Knicks at four have numerous options and roads they can take, including trades.
The Knicks were bounced down to four from two after finishing second worst in the league and now Phil Jackson could consider trading the pick. The team reportedly is interested in Mudiay and Pro Basketball Talk reports that the Celtics could be a trade partner, as they are interested in Cauley-Stein. Frank Isola at the Daily News writes that Trey Lyles could be the pick for the Knicks, as they really like his makeup as a prospect. The team was disappointed in getting the fourth pick, but they are trying to make the best of it.
The Wolves traded Kevin Love for Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett this past summer and now they have the chance to take a top prospect at number one. Towns and Okafor likely will go in the first two picks and the Wolves the pressure of trying to figure out which one will not be a bust, as that easily could happen (take a look at Greg Oden/Kevin Durant). The Lakers are happy to sit at two and take who is left, but they also could consider one of the guards.