Contrary to previous reports, the Minnesota Timberwolves are now said to prefer Karl-Anthony Towns in the 2015 NBA draft. With all signs pointing to Towns being the first pick off the board, the Los Angeles Lakers likely will choose either Jahlil Okafor or D'Angelo Russell.
Early last week the talk was how Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders favored Okafor over Towns, but after watching Towns work out, Saunders reportedly is now set on drafting the Kentucky freshman first overall.
"Saunders, who had been leaning toward (Okafor), is said to have turned pro-Towns after seeing him last week in Los Angeles," Mark Heisler of Forbes wrote Thursday. "The splash sent ripples throughout the NBA. Says an insider: 'There's no doubt, the T-Wolves are taking Towns.'"
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated also indicated on Wednesday Minnesota would take Towns in the draft.
That leaves Los Angeles, in all likelihood, to decide between Okafor or Russell. At least two reports in May suggested the Lakers would go with Russell - or fellow point guard Emmanuel Mudiay - if Towns were off the board, but the team's stance appears to have changed. ESPN's Chad Ford reported earlier in June the Lakers would likely go with Okafor if they couldn't have Towns, and Mannix took it a step further by saying the Lakers are already "locked in" on drafting the Duke freshman.
"The Lakers are going through the motions with other draft prospects - D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay have been in for workouts - but multiple league sources say L.A. is locked in on Okafor," Mannix wrote Wednesday. "Despite being overtaken by Towns, scouts still see Okafor as a franchise center-one with an enormous upside."
It's difficult to see Los Angeles leaving Okafor on the board for Russell. Although Russell has the potential to be an All-Star point guard, Okafor is by far the best player in the draft after Towns. Moreover, Okafor is expected to come in and make a major impact on offense right away for whichever team drafts him - that would help lessen the scoring burden on a soon-to-retire Kobe Bryant.
The NBA draft is on Thursday, June 25.
