Wolves take unique big man, athletic combo guard in new NBA mock draft

Danny Wolf is a seven-footer who handles the ball quite a bit for Michigan.

Feb 8, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Danny Wolf (1) goes to the basket against Indiana Hoosiers forward Malik Reneau (5) during the first half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Entering this season, the Timberwolves probably weren't expecting to have a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft. They received the Pistons' first-rounder in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade with the Knicks, but it's top-13 protected this year. With Detroit coming off an atrocious 14-68 season, the odds that the pick finished in the top 13 felt quite high. And yet, heading into the All-Star break, the Pistons are 29-26 and in sixth place in the East, meaning the pick is on track to convey to Minnesota.

There's still a chance Detroit could fall off and end up in the lottery, but for now, the Wolves are projected to receive a pick somewhere in the 15-20 range. In other good news, they also have the Jazz's second-rounder, which will likely end up being very high in that round, given that Utah is currently 13-40. So we might as well start looking at mock drafts to get a sense of some players who could be logical targets for Tim Connelly in late June. Let's examine Minesota's picks in a new two-round mock from ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo.

Round 1, Pick 16: Danny Wolf, C, Michigan

Feb 1, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Danny Wolf (1) drives to the basket against Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Lathan Sommerville (24) during the first half at Jersey Mike's Arena. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"Wolf might be college basketball's most unique player," Givony wrote. Listed at 7-foot and 250 pounds, he transferred from Yale to Michigan this season and has been excellent for the 19-5 Wolverines as a junior. Wolf is averaging 12.8 points and a Big Ten-leading 10.0 rebounds per game, as well as 3.6 assists and 1.6 blocks. He's a big who often plays like a guard, handling the ball quite a bit and running an often-unstoppable pick-and-roll with fellow seven-footer Vlad Goldin. Wolf has touch around the rim with both hands, he's shooting 37 percent from three on roughly three attempts per game, and he's an adept passer (although he's struggled with turnovers this year). He's also a capable defender despite not being an overly sudden athlete.

Does the fit make sense with Minnesota? The Wolves have a somewhat similar "big man with guard skills" archetype in Naz Reid, although there are plenty of differences between the two. If Julius Randle departs this offseason and Reid is back, it's not too hard to imagine Wolf fitting in alongside Reid and Rudy Gobert as a major upgrade over Luka Garza in Minnesota's frontcourt rotation. His experience playing with Goldin this season would carry over perfectly to minutes alongside Gobert. And regardless, the draft is more about finding potential great players than focusing on immediate fit.

"Timberwolves president Tim Connelly has historically been unafraid to swing big on talent, and Wolf's unique perimeter skill set at his size makes him one of the more interesting first-round prospects to monitor going into the spring," Woo wrote. "His playmaking could give the Minnesota rotation a boost."

I'm on board. Also, c'mon, just look at the man's name. Wolf was destined to play for the Wolves.

Round 2, Pick 33: Ian Jackson, SG, North Carolina

Jan 15, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Ian Jackson (11) shoot a free throw in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

A consensus top-ten recruit in the country out of New York City last year, Jackson has had a solid but inconsistent freshman season for the Tar Heels. He's averaging 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1 assist per game on 46/36/75 shooting splits. The flashes of brilliance have been there, like when he averaged 22.7 points and made 19 of 46 threes (41 percent) over a seven-game stretch from Dec. 21 to Jan. 15. But Jackson has also disappeared at times, most recently being held under ten points in six of his last outings.

Thus, an early second-round projection for the former five-star recruit. Jackson is an athletic 6'4" guard who can shoot and defend, so this would be another bet on long-term upside from Connelly.

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