NBA: Top 5 biggest what-if draft selections from the 1990s

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3. 1995 — Kevin Garnett to the Washington Bullets

For 12 straight seasons, Kevin Garnett was the backbone of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He carried the team from out of being the laughingstock of the NBA to a perennial playoff contender. The dedication and passion embodied from the future Hall of Famer largely mirrored that of the Minnesota sports fan base that beloved him.

But Garnett’s run in Minnesota might not have ever happened if one Eastern Conference general manager had his way.

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In the 1995 NBA Draft, the Timberwolves were slated to pick fifth, which was the seventh straight season in which they held a top 10 draft pick. All of the previous first-round picks for the team did not pan out as players who could turn the franchise around. Thus, the Timberwolves front office desperately needed to hit the jackpot and bring in a player who could revitalize the team.

They had their eye on several players, including Kevin Garnett — a highly touted prospect coming out of high school.

As with many top draft prospects, Garnett worked out for front office members and scouts. He left many in awe, including then-Washington Bullets General Manager John Nash.

"“I came away from the workout going, ‘Wow, this guy’s going to be a great player,’ and came back to Washington and huddled with our owner (Abe Pollin),”. “I explained to him that we liked a lot of players at the top of that draft — Joe Smith and McDyess, and Stackhouse and Rasheed. I said, ‘You know, Mr. Pollin, there’s this high school kid. I want to tell you, he might be special.’ He said, ‘John, that’s OK, I would prefer it if we didn’t draft somebody right out of high school.’ I said, ‘Mr. Pollin, you’re making my job easier, because I would have wrestled with the decision.’”"

Under Pollin’s discretion, the Bullets passed on Garnett with the fourth pick, which opened the door for the Timberwolves to swoop in and take the forward. The high risk, high reward move paid off for the Timberwolves as Garnett etched his status as one of the premier power forwards in the history of the game and led the team to eight straight playoff appearances. He remained largely loyal over the run and provided the franchise with winning basketball.

Had the Bullets elected to take a gamble and pick Garnett, he might not have replicated the same success right away with both Chris Webber and Juwan Howard still on the team. But it could have later forced the team to trade both for a playmaking point guard to complement Garnett, such as a Jason Kidd.

Playoff basketball would have returned sooner rather than later had the Bullets selected Garnett.