A look at Thursday's NBA draft

NBA draft

The details

When: Thursday, 6 p.m.

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Format: Two rounds, 60 picks overall.

TV: ESPN

Timberwolves picks: One. First round, fifth overall.

Top prospects

1. Ben Simmons, F, 6-10, 240, LSU: He combines the size and strength of a power forward with high-end ball-handling and dribbling skills. He conceivably could play all five positions on the floor. He is a hard worker with good character. Will need to work on his jump shot.

2. Brandon Ingram, SF, 6-9, 195, Duke: Has the height and a 7-3 wingspan. Efficient with an outstanding jump shot. But he will need to get stronger and bigger to play at a high level in the physical NBA.

3. Dragan Bender, PF, 7-1, 225, Croatia: Considered the best European talent available, Bender has been playing professionally in Europe since age 15. A prototypical stretch four, he is strong in the pick and roll. Could fall to the Wolves in right scenario.

4. Kris Dunn, PG, 6-3, 180, Providence: A tall, athletic guard with a 6-9 wingspan who overcame two shoulder injuries in college. He has talked about wanting to play for Thibodeau – saying he and "Thibs" were on the same page at the draft combine. If both Boston and Phoenix pass, Dunn's defense and toughness could be a good fit here.

5. Jamal Murray, G, 6-5, 205, Kentucky: Was the No. 1 scorer in the country among prospects under 20 years of age as a freshman. A combo guard who thrived off the ball, he averaged 20 points while shooting better than 40 percent on three-pointers. He can score from outside and get to the rim and is a definite possibility for the Wolves if still available.

A look back at the Wolves' 2015-16 season

In a season that began days after the death of Flip Saunders, the Timberwolves – with top overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns forging his Rookie of the Year résumé – finished 29-53 under interim coach Sam Mitchell, an improvement of 13 wins over the previous season. Andrew Wiggins improved on his ROY campaign of 2014-15, Zach LaVine showed improvement and Ricky Rubio proved he could stay healthy for a full season. Shortly after the Wolves finished out of the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season, owner Glen Taylor hired Tom Thibodeau as president of basketball operations and Scott Layden as general manager. Within a month the Wolves cleaned house, announcing nine members of the team's basketball operations would not return, including previous GM Milt Newton and vice president of basketball operations Rob Babcock.

What are the Wolves looking for?

Thibodeau is looking for players who fit his philosophy. And that means defense, rebounding and toughness. These are the players he is looking for. That said, the team needs outside shooting from wing players and more rebounding in the frontcourt.

Did you know?

Boston has eight picks in the draft, including No. 3. The Celtics have had a top-three pick only three times since 1966, taking Chauncey Billups third in 1997, Len Bias second in 1986 and Kevin McHale third in 1980.

Key number

14 Consecutive years at least one son of a former NBA player has been taken in the draft.

Local ties

Henry Ellenson, left, of Rice Lake, Wis., is a power forward/center who had a strong freshman season with Marquette. Many have him going 10th overall to Milwaukee. Forward Jarrod Uthoff played three seasons for Iowa, averaging 18.9 points this past season. He could go in the second round.

First round

1 Philadelphia

2 L.A. Lakers

3 Boston

4 Phoenix

5 Timberwolves

6 New Orleans

7 Denver

8 Sacramento

9 Toronto

10 Milwaukee

11 Orlando

12 Utah

13 Phoenix

14 Chicago

15 Denver

16 Boston

17 Memphis

18 Detroit

19 Denver

20 Indiana

21 Atlanta

22 Charlotte

23 Boston

24 Philadelphia

25 L.A. Clippers

26 Philadelphia

27 Toronto

28 Phoenix

29 San Antonio

30 Golden State