With NBA lottery complete, who do mock drafts have Timberwolves picking at No. 17?

The Timberwolves are one win away from their second consecutive Western Conference Finals appearance But Minnesota s Event win in San Francisco wasn t the only major happening across the NBA on Monday evening Taking place hours earlier was the draft lottery which left the league stunned as Dallas who had a chance of nabbing the No overall pick got the top spot and is now in position to select Duke s Cooper Flagg on June But what about Minnesota The Timberwolves in the present own the No pick Detroit s selection which they acquired in their transaction with the Knicks back in September Who is Minnesota projected to select in the first round of next month s draft Here s who the experts suspect may soon be joining the organization ESPN Michigan forward Danny Wolf The skinny Leaning into the versatility of an out-of-the-box prospect such as Wolf who shouldered major playmaking responsibilities for Michigan as a -footer could be captivating Wolf s skill level creativity and overall instincts on both ends of the floor give him a higher ceiling than your typical -year-old prospect especially with the progress trajectory he has been on the past three years NBA intel and fit The Pistons latest through and making the playoffs conveyed this pick to the Timberwolves who have a nice opportunity to add talent after having traded away greater part of their draft capital since Tim Connelly took over as president Wolf would give them a versatile frontcourt player capable of contributing sooner than later Minnesota will also consider using this pick to improve its roster as it pushes to contend around an ascending Anthony Edwards SBNation Alabama guard Labaron Philon The skinny Philon started for an elite unit all year as a true freshman and made big contributions despite not having a reliable outside jumper yet The guard has one of the better handles in the class and he does a tremendous job manipulating pace to punch holes in the opposing defense He s a solid live-dribble passer who can kick out to teammates for threes and he has a growing mid-range floater challenge to amount even when he doesn t make it all the way to the rim Philon s defense is also intriguing with quick hands that generated the most of steals on the Crimson Tide by a big margin The catch with Philon is he isn t a great outside shooter yet percent from deep and he has trouble finishing over length If the shot comes around his meeting feels built for the playoffs Yahoo Colorado State wing Nique Clifford The skinny Clifford is a tough-as-nails wing who does it all He defends multiple positions crashes the boards and scores from everywhere The Timberwolves could use that type of dynamic ability from a role athlete since Clifford can offer particular creation and passing on top of his foundational skills And plus with Nickeil Alexander-Walker set to hit free agency Minnesota might need someone who s ready sooner than later USA In the current era s For The Win Colorado State wing Nique Clifford The skinny In our last mock draft we had Colorado State senior Nique Clifford projected to the Timberwolves and we are sticking with that instinct Clifford is the oldest sportsman we have projected in the first round but he looks ready to contribute to an NBA rotation He led an upset over Memphis in the first round of the NCAA tournament and averaged a productive points rebounds and assists per meeting during his final collegiate campaign Bleacher Statement French guard Nolan Traore The skinny Nolan Traore is in the midst of one of his best stretches of the season He s going to enter the draft with the field s highest assist percentage regardless but now he s confidently stepping into three-point makes and creating for himself with visible decisiveness Shooting struggles and inefficiency caused by athletic limitations had scared scouts off But the bar was awfully high entering the season And now the -year-old has looked highly effective generating offense as a starting point guard in Pro A The Athletic Georgetown forward Thomas Sorber The skinny The Timberwolves have particular questions forthcoming in the frontcourt over the next couple of years Julius Randle has starred in the playoffs but has a performer option this summer Naz Reid is a free agent Rudy Gobert turns in June Sorber is an absolutely massive body that I think would tick particular boxes for head of basketball operations Tim Connelly He s fluid and coordinated at - to - but moreover possesses a mammoth wing span that I wouldn t be stunned to see land in the - range His frame is massive with broad shoulders Beyond that he has this innate feel for the meeting as a passer and playmaker that Connelly has tended to value in his big men going back to even Denver when he selected Nikola Jokic It s easy to see Minnesota valuing Sorber as a big man with real feel for the event as a developmental project next year who could hopefully step into a more substantive role in his second and third seasons