2017 NBA Draft: How Markelle Fultz would impact every lottery team
By Max Holm
Minnesota Timberwolves – 5.3% Chance of Winning Lottery
The 2016-17 season was supposed to be the year the Minnesota Timberwolves made their jump, but it just didn’t play out that way. Karl-Anthony Towns had a monster season, while Andrew Wiggins mostly scored and didn’t do much else. They also suffered from Kris Dunn having a horrid rookie year and an injury cutting short Zach LaVine‘s fine season.
All of those attributed to Minnesota finishing tied for sixth with the New York Knicks. That means they’re just in range to have a shot at Fultz. Getting him would certainly propel Minnesota within 2-3 years to where this team should be heading.
What’s great about Fultz is they don’t necessarily have to trade Ricky Rubio. Fultz could play off-ball at shooting guard for as long as Minnesota wants Rubio, and given how strongly he finished the season that may not be such a bad idea.
LaVine could move to a sixth man role and all the T-Wolves would be missing is a stretch-4 to fit in between Wigging and Towns. Fultz would also emerge as the ideal partner and foil to Towns that Wiggins has not lived up to. That’s not to say Wiggins won’t improve or be worth keeping around, but it’s a hell of an insurance policy to add Fultz to a group that has truly been unable to function besides KAT.