2020 NBA Draft: Timberwolves select Anthony Edwards with No. 1 pick

Former Georgia guard Anthony Edwards (5) averaged 19.1 points per game and was the Southeastern Conference freshman of the year in his lone season at Georgia. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Former Georgia guard Anthony Edwards (5) averaged 19.1 points per game and was the Southeastern Conference freshman of the year in his lone season at Georgia. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Nov. 18 (UPI) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Georgia star Anthony Edwards with the No. 1 overall pick in the virtual 2020 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.

Edwards, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound guard from Atlanta, joins a young Timberwolves squad led by star center Karl-Anthony Towns and point guard D'Angelo Russell. Edwards averaged 19.1 points per game and was the Southeastern Conference freshman of the year in his lone season at Georgia.

"It's an indescribable feeling," Edwards said. "I'm just blessed beyond measure to be in this situation."

Memphis center James Wiseman, guard LaMelo Ball and Edwards were all, at different times, projected to be the top pick in this year's draft, which took place five months later than it was initially scheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Edwards, however, was the best positional fit for the T-Wolves and separated himself as the top pick in the days leading up to the draft.

The Golden State Warriors took Wiseman with the second-overall pick. Ball, who is the younger brother of New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball, fell to No. 3 and went to the Charlotte Hornets.

The Chicago Bulls selected Florida State's Patrick Williams with the No. 4 overall pick. Williams, the ACC Sixth Man of the Year last season, became the highest-drafted Seminole since Dave Cowens was taken fourth by the Boston Celtics in the 1970 draft.

After the Bulls picked Williams, the Cleveland Cavaliers took Auburn wing Isaac Okoro at No. 5. The second-team All-SEC selection averaged 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and two assists per game in his lone season at Auburn.

Wednesday night's virtual draft was originally scheduled to happen in June, as it usually does, but was delayed until after the NBA finished its 2019-20 season in the bubble at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.

The pandemic also forced a venue change for the draft. Instead of taking place in New York, it was held virtually at ESPN's campus in Bristol, Conn. As usual, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the first-round selections, while deputy commissioner Mark Tatum did the second round.

Here is the pick-by-pick results from the 2020 NBA Draft:

Round 1:

1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia

2. Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman, C, Memphis

3. Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball, PG, USA

4. Chicago Bulls: Patrick Williams, SF, Florida State

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn

6. Atlanta Hawks: Onyeka Okongwu, C, USC

7. Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes, PG, France

8. New York Knicks: Obi Toppin, PF, Dayton

9. Washington Wizards: Deni Avdija, SF, Israel

10. Phoenix Suns: Jalen Smith, PF, Maryland

11. San Antonio Spurs: Devin Vassell, SG, Florida State

12. Sacramento Kings: Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State

13. New Orleans Pelicans: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama

14. Boston Celtics (from Memphis): Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt

15. Orlando Magic: Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina

16. Detroit Pistons (from Portland via Houston): Isaiah Stewart, C, Washington

17. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Minnesota via Brooklyn and Atlanta): Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Serbia

18. Dallas Mavericks: Josh Green, SG, Arizona

19. Detroit Pistons (from Brooklyn via Philadelphia and Los Angeles Clippers): Saddiq Bey, PF, Villanova

20. Miami Heat: Precious Achiuwa, PF, Memphis

21. Philadelphia 76ers (from Oklahoma City via Orlando and Philadelphia): Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky

22. Denver Nuggets (from Houston): Zeke Nnaji, PF, Arizona

23. Minnesota Timberwolves (from New York via Utah): Leandro Bolmaro, SG, Argentina

24. Denver Nuggets (from Milwaukee via New Orleans and Indiana): R.J. Hampton, PG, USA

25. New York Knicks (from Oklahoma City via Minnesota and Denver): Immanuel Quickley, PG, Kentucky

26. Boston Celtics: Payton Pritchard, PG, Oregon

27. Utah Jazz (from New York via Los Angeles Clippers): Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas

28. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Oklahoma City via Los Angeles Lakers): Jaden McDaniels, PF, Washington

29. Toronto Raptors: Malachi Flynn, PG, San Diego State

30. Memphis Grizzlies (from Boston via Milwaukee and Phoenix): Desmond Bane, SG, TCU

Round 2:

31. Dallas Mavericks (via Golden State): Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford

32. Charlotte Hornets (via Cleveland): Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke

33. New York Knicks (via Minnesota): Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota

34. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Philadelphia): Theo Maledon, PG, France

35. Memphis Grizzlies (from Sacramento via Detroit): Xavier Tillman, C, Michigan State

36. Dallas Mavericks (from Philadelphia via New York): Tyler Bey, PF, Colorado

37. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Washington via Chicago): Vit Krejci, PG, Czech Republic

38. Utah Jazz (via Charlotte): Saben Lee, PG, Vanderbilt

39. New Orleans Pelicans (via Washington): Elijah Hughes, SG, Syracuse

40. Memphis Grizzlies (via Phoenix): Robert Woodard II, SF, Mississippi State

41. San Antonio Spurs: Tre Jones, PG, Duke

42. New Orleans Pelicans: Nick Richards, C, Kentucky

43. Sacramento Kings: Jahmi'us Ramsey, PG, Texas Tech

44. Chicago Bulls (via Memphis): Marko Simonovic, C, Montenegro

45. Milwaukee Bucks (via Orlando): Jordan Nwora, PF, Louisville

46. Portland Trail Blazers: C.J. Elleby, SG, Washington State

47. Boston Celtics (via Brooklyn): Yam Madar, PG, Israel

48. Golden State Warriors (via Dallas): Nico Mannion, PG, Arizona

49. Philadelphia 76ers: Isaiah Joe, SG, Arkansas

50. Atlanta Hawks (via Miami): Skylar Mays, SG, LSU

51. Golden State Warriors (via Utah): Justinian Jessup, SG, Boise State

52. Sacramento Kings (via Houston): Kenyon Martin Jr., SF, USA

53. Washington Wizards (via Oklahoma City): Cassius Winston, PG, Michigan State

54. Indiana Pacers: Cassius Stanley, SG, Duke

55. Brooklyn Nets (via Denver): Jay Scrubb, SG, USA

56. Charlotte Hornets (via Boston): Grant Riller, PG, Charleston

57. Los Angeles Clippers: Reggie Perry, C, Mississippi State

58. Philadelphia 76ers (via Los Angeles Lakers): Paul Reed, PF, DePaul

59. Toronto Raptors: Jalen Harris, SG, Nevada

60. New Orleans Pelicans (via Milwaukee): Sam Merrill, SG, Utah State

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