Minnesota Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders reportedly hasn't rule out drafting D'Angelo Russell first overall in the 2015 NBA draft. Saunders is a "big fan" of Russell and may be willing to trade Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio this summer to make room for the Ohio State freshman, Chad Ford of ESPN reports.
Two reports indicate Saunders prefers Duke center Jahlil Okafor to Kentucky center Karl-Anthony Towns in the draft, but according to Ford, Saunders hasn't dismissed the idea of selecting Russell with the No. 1 pick and trading Rubio.
"Do not totally discount (Russell) here either. I am told Saunders is also a big fan and might be willing to move Ricky Rubio for the right deal," Ford wrote Tuesday.
Scouts have praised Russell for his ability to pass and to score, along with his high basketball IQ and his maturity, and consider him to be a two-way guard. Most view him as the top 1-guard in the draft, just a notch above point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, so Saunders being a fan of the 19-year-old Buckeye isn't surprising.
What would be surprising is if Saunders actually used the first overall pick on Russell. It's difficult to see Saunders leaving Towns and Okafor on the board in favor of Russell, if only because the big men are the two best available players overall in the 2015 class.
Moreover, trading Rubio for something of value wouldn't be as easy as it might seem. His four-year, $55 million extension kicks in next season. Rubio's a solid point guard (8.8 APG, 5.7 RPG this season), but his shot (10.3 PPG on 35.6% shooting) hasn't improved at all. Given how the trend in the league is to have a 1-guard that can score, most teams likely would be unwilling to take on Rubio's salary - even with the expected cap increase in 2016.
