NBA Draft 2020: Biggest takeaways and storylines from the draft

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The 2020 NBA Draft is officially in the books with all 60 picks completed virtually.

The top three picks went as expected with Anthony Edwards heading the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 1 pick, followed by James Wiseman to the Golden State Warriors at No. 2, and LaMelo Ball to the Charlotte Hornets at No. 3.

There was no shortage of intriguing storylines to emerge on draft night, with trades galore as the musical chairs of the NBA offseason got off to a busy start.  

And with that, we were off.

Here's a look into the biggest storylines from Thursday's draft.

The Warriors get their big man

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The Golden State Warriors addressed their biggest need, taking the 7-foot-1 centre, giving them an athletic anchor on both sides of the floor. 

Wiseman played just three games with Memphis last season, averaging 19.7 points and 10.3 rebounds and with his ability to protect the rim, get up and down the floor and finish around the basket, he could well be their starting centre on opening night. 

Ahead of the draft, there was plenty of speculation that the Warriors might trade the pick to secure an established veteran, but of the available talent on the board, Wiseman was a no-brainer at No. 2.

NBA.com draft expert Kyle Irving had this to say about Wiseman in his last mock before the draft:

"Wiseman is a super athletic big man who has flashed a ton of potential as a rim protector and rim-runner in the NBA. Even in an age where some teams look to play smaller and faster, his game still translates because of his speed and potential as a perimeter shooter."

Golden State looks to be the perfect fit for Wiseman. 

The Warriors also added livewire guard Nico Mannion from Arizona with the 48th pick as well as Justinian Jessup of Boise State with the 51st pick. Jessup will be a draft-and-stash for the Warriors after he signed with The Hawks in Australia's NBL as part of the Next Stars program, the same team LaMelo Ball played for last season.

Speaking of...

The LaMelo Ball show is heading to Queen City

The Charlotte Hornets have their point guard of the future!

The Hornets, who routinely have some of the lowest crowds in the NBA, are getting a certified box office attraction. Where LaMelo goes, the cameras follow.


While it's easy to get lost in the celebrity of the youngest Ball brother, LaMelo is going to give the Hornets a legitimate playmaker at 6-foot-7 to facilitate them getting up and down the court.   

The alley-oop potential playing alongside Miles Bridges and P.J Washington is going to make the Hornets must-see TV.

The youngest Ball brother created history on draft night, with he and older brother Lonzo becoming the first brothers ever selected in the top-five of the NBA draft.

The Hornets also added Duke centre Vernon Carey Jr. with the 32nd pick and College of Charleston sharpshooter Grant Riller with the 56th pick — an acquisition that could well be the steal of the second round. 

Kentucky big man Nick Richards is also on his way to Charlotte after being traded by the New Orleans Pelicans. All in all, a pretty impressive night from the Hornets.

Timberwolves start new chapter

The Timberwolves were in talks to trade their No. 1 pick right up until the draft began, but ultimately went for Georgia's Anthony Edwards, who projects as a great fit alongside D'Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns.

“We’ve got a lot of athletes,” Edwards said of his new teammates. “We’ve got a lot of scorers. We’ve got a lot of ballplayers, man. There’s nothing more you can ask for.”

The Wolves were busy throughout the draft, making another big splash in acquiring former player Ricky Rubio from the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 25th and 28th picks in exchange for the 17th pick.

Sure, they already have Russell running point, but Rubio gives them a veteran leader and with Russell more than capable of playing off-ball, Rubio's addition will bring a steadying hand to a young roster looking to make the leap. 

The Wolves weren't done there. After trading the No. 23 pick to the Knicks for picks No. 25 and 33, they selected Argentinian guard Leandro Bolmaro to close out the night.

International pipeline continues

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The NBA's global footprint continues to shine at the NBA Draft with several international players selected across the first and second rounds. 

Over the last 10 years, there have been 27 international players drafted in the top-10 and France's Killian Hayes continued that trend, going to the Detroit Pistons with the No. 7 overall pick. 

Israel's Deni Avdija soon followed, going to the Washington Wizards with the No. 9 pick, extending the NBA's streak to eight consecutive seasons of having at least two international players in the top 10.

In the first round, five more international prospects heard their names called with Aleksej Pokusevski drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 17, Australian Josh Green to the Dallas Mavericks at No.18, Argentine Leandro Bolmaro to the New York Knicks at No. 23, while Nigerian Precious Achiuwa went to the Miami Heat at pick No. 20 and countryman Udoka Azubuike to the Utah Jazz at pick No. 29.

A busy night for the Pistons

In his first draft as General Manager of the Pistons, Troy Weaver wasted no time shaking up the roster, acquiring a ton of young talent. 

First off the bat was the No. 7 pick where the Pistons selected French point guard Killian Hayes, a position that they have struggled with in recent years.

A 6-foot-5 point guard with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Hayes has immense potential with his ball-handling, playmaking and scoring, showing flashes of Manu Ginobili and James Harden – two lefties he's modeled his game after.

After acquiring the No. 16 pick via trade for Trevor Ariza with the Houston Rockets, the Pistons selected Washington centre Isaiah Stewart and followed that up trading Luke Kennard in a three-team deal, which got them pick No. 19, where they selected Villanova forward Saddiq Bey.

They continued to add picks as the draft progressed, acquiring Tony Bradley and the 38th pick from the Utah Jazz in exchange for a future pick and cash considerations. With that pick, they selected Vanderbilt guard Saben Lee.

76ers add shooting touch

Darryl Morey and the 76ers had one thing in mind at the draft — shooting, shooting, and more shooting. 

Prior to the draft, the 76ers moved Al Horford, a protected first-round pick in the 2025 draft, and the rights to Serbian point guard Vasilije Micic to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Danny Green, Terrance Ferguson, and the 34th pick.

They weren't done there, acquiring Seth Curry from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Josh Richardson and the 36th pick, giving them two knockdown shooters to help space the floor for Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

At pick No. 21 the 76ers selected Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey, Arkansas shooter Isaiah Joe pick No. 49 and 6-foot-9 DePaul forward Paul Reed at pick No. 58, giving them an injection of youth and perimeter scoring.

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Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor for The Sporting News.