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Jan 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Drake Powell (9) signals to the passer for the assist in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Timberwolves land intriguing 3-and-D wing in new NBA mock draft

Originally posted on Minnesota Timberwolves on SI
By Will Ragatz | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 12:45 PM ET

In a new mock draft from The Ringer, the Timberwolves use the 17th pick to take a swing on a young 3-and-D wing with a seemingly wide range of potential NBA outcomes. Their selection is UNC's Drake Powell, a former top recruit who showed flashes of his upside during a somewhat disappointing one-and-done season.

Powell was a five-star recruit and the 11th-ranked player in last year's high school class. He stayed home to play for Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels, but the season didn't exactly go to plan for either Powell or UNC as a collective. The Heels came into the year with big expectations and barely snuck into the NCAA Tournament as a First Four team, with many believing their resume wasn't deserving. Powell put up just 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, playing 25.6 minutes a night and attempting fewer than six shots on average.

There was some thought that Powell might play another season in college, but he decided to remain in the draft. "I feel like I'm the same two-way player that was coming into college," he said last month at the combine. "Obviously I don't think I got to showcase that at UNC, but the potential is still there."

Despite the unimpressive statistics, there remain plenty of reasons to believe in Powell's NBA upside. He's a 6'6", 200-pound wing with a 7-foot wingspan and pro-ready strength and athleticism. Powell was UNC's best defensive player last season, even if his steal and block numbers weren't eye-popping. He competes off the ball and can switch onto a wide range of offensive players and be effective on the ball. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie said he thought Powell guarded surefire No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg better than anyone else last season.

Drake Powell is someone every NBA team will want to kick the tires in the pre-draft process. 19-year-old, one-time projected top-10 pick who shot 38% for 3, defends and is a smart passer. Didn't have a productive season at UNC, and needs to improve his handle and aggressiveness. https://t.co/WUZtfCnJgX pic.twitter.com/rqB9laEshf
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 23, 2025

Offensively, there are far more questions. Powell did shoot 38 percent from three, but he was basically limited to catch-and-shoot threes and shots at the rim. He had the lowest usage rate of any player on UNC's roster. Powell needs to improve his handle and perhaps tweak his shot mechanics so he's able to be more effective in creating his own shot off the dribble. Right now, it takes a while for him to get his shot off. He also averaged just 1.1 assists this season and shot 65 percent from the free throw line.

Powell, who turns 20 in September, is a project on the offensive end of the floor. As Vecenie put it in his draft guide, "the idea of Powell as a player seems great, but it hasn't come together yet."

Opinions certainly vary on Powell as a prospect. Vecenie has him ranked 34th on his big board. ESPN has him at 31. But The Ringer has him at 21, and Kevin O'Connor (Yahoo! Sports) has Powell at 16, comparing him to Mikal Bridges.

"Perhaps you’ve heard, but the Western Conference is big and it is long," The Ringer's Danny Chau and J. Kyle Mann said in their mock draft. "With (Nique) Clifford and (Cedric) Coward off the board at this point, Powell is the logical choice if the Wolves are looking for offensive spacing and defensive switchability on the perimeter. Powell is uncomplicated (simple, limited, lacking dynamism—however you wanna put it) on offense at this point, but North Carolina’s defensive clunkiness clouded the idea of just how effective he can be if his role is properly calibrated. Powell is a high-motor defender who can guard multiple positions and the type of offensive player who can space to the corner effectively or punish inattentive helpers with his cutting. He’s on my radar as a player who could, down the road, be seen as one of the steals of this draft."

They have different builds and different games, but there seem to be some similarities between Powell and current Wolves star Jaden McDaniels. Both were five-star recruits who didn't have huge seasons in college (although McDaniels' numbers were definitely better). Jaden was the 28th overall pick in 2020 and was immediately effective on defense, though it took a while for his offensive game to develop. He signed a huge contract prior to his fourth season and is a huge piece of the Wolves' present and future.

Powell has that level of upside, but there's plenty of risk involved and development needed. That's why 17 might be a bit high for him. I'd be much more in on Powell if he fell to the Wolves' second pick at No. 31 overall, though that may be unlikely. If the Wolves want to take a wing at 17, players like Carter Bryant, Cedric Coward, Nique Clifford, and Noa Essengue might be better options.