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NBA execs choose James Wiseman as top 2020 draft prospect
James Wiseman played just three games as a freshman before being ruled illegible. The Commercial Appeal-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Poll: NBA execs consider former Memphis big man James Wiseman as top 2020 NBA Draft prospect

Having the top lottery pick in the NBA Draft is a chance for a team to add a potential superstar to its roster, but this year, it's not entirely clear which player will end up going No. 1 overall.  Jeff Goodman of Watch Stadium asked 35 executives whom they would take first, and it appears that former Memphis big man James Wiseman has emerged as the favorite.

Of the 35 executives Goodman spoke with, 20 said they would take Wiseman, despite him only playing three games at Memphis.

"It’s not an easy decision," an NBA GM explained. "And even though the NBA doesn’t value bigs like it used to, there just aren’t a lot of 7-footers who can run and jump like Wiseman can out there."

After Wiseman, Georgia freshman guard Anthony Edwards was the most popular pick, receiving 10 out of 35 votes. Several executives who voted for Edwards mentioned his game against Michigan State in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational game, where he scored 37 points, including 33 in the second half.

"No one else has shown anything like that," an assistant general manager said. "He couldn’t be stopped."

The only other player who received more than one vote was LaMelo Ball, who played in Lithuania and Australia instead of college.

Several executives said that they wouldn't want the top pick in this year's draft, as no player had performed well enough to clearly establish himself as the best option.

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