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NBA Rumors: Timberwolves could select D’Angelo Russell with No. 1 pick, trade Rubio

By Cody Williams

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The Minnesota Timberwolves could select D’Angelo Russell with the first pick of the 2015 NBA Draft.

D’Angelo Russell is widely regarded as the best guard prospect in the 2015 NBA Draft. As a point guard who can both run an offense and shoot from just about every where on the floor, Russell will be a nice grab no matter where he falls in the draft.

As far as most mock drafts go, though, Russell has been projected to fall to the third pick and the Philadelphia 76ers. A big part of that is the fact that the general perception regarding the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers, the holders of the first and second picks respectively, are hunting for the services of a big man. At least that’s how it has seemed until now.

According to his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Chad Ford says that there is some rumblings that the Timberwolves could be looking into taking Russell with the first overall pick. Ford says he hears that general manager and head coach Flip Saunders is a big fan of Russell.

Possibly as big of a shock regarding this rumor is that the Wolves would possibly be willing to deal current point guard Ricky Rubio to make room for Russell on the roster and have the flexibility to grow with Russell running the show.

The notion of dealing Rubio is especially intriguing considering that Minnesota signed Rubio to a four-year, $55 million last year. Despite the fact that Rubio still hasn’t blossomed into a superstar, it would be a quick decision to bail on Rubio that quickly after extending him.

Another interesting bit from this is the stark contrast between Russell and Rubio as players. Rubio has been much maligned for his lack of shooting ability since entering the league. Meanwhile, one of the biggest reasons that Russell has been so lauded as a prospect in this draft class is the fact that he can score from anywhere on the floor. A change in styles at the point guard position for Minnesota would give the young team a drastically different look going forward.

There’s obviously nothing certain about Russell or what the Wolves plan to do with the number one pick. After all, we are just weeks away from the draft and that’s the time when speculation and rumors are in abundance. However, it’s nice to have at least somewhat of a heads up if a major curveball is coming down the pipe come draft night.

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