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What Timberwolves fans need to know about the NBA draft

Timberwolves talk upcoming NBA Draft
Timberwolves talk upcoming NBA Draft 02:50

MINNEAPOLIS -- NBA fans are excited about the younger athletes primed to enter the league on Thursday. Here's what you need to know about the NBA draft.

The draft is Thursday. It will be at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

The draft begins at 7 p.m. on ESPN. Unlike other leagues, it is only one night. 

There will be 60 players selected. Many of those players previously played college basketball in the United States. Some are from international leagues.

There are only two rounds in the draft, 30 picks in each. Each team initially held two, one per round. However, due to trades -- many of which happen in the years before the draft takes place, and some actually during the draft -- teams can end up with a handful or none.

Right now, the Minnesota Timberwolves only hold one pick in the draft: pick 53 in the late second round. 

The Wolves traded their first-round pick when they acquired Rudy Gobert last offseason.  

Nuggets Timberwolves Basketball
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, left, reacts next to guard Anthony Edwards (1) after committing a foul against the Denver Nuggets during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, April 21, 2023, in Minneapolis. Abbie Parr / AP

Here's what President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly had to say about the team's draft position Wednesday morning: "When you're drafting 53rd, I think we have to be realistic with expectation level. I don't know if you guys have looked at the 53rd picks historically, it's a not a murderer's row of NBA guys. But we think we can add someone that can eventually help us ... And 53, there will be one or two guys that drop and we gotta figure out why they're dropping, are the concerns enough for us to pass them at 53."

MORE TIMBERWOLVES: Tim Connelly says Timberwolves not likely to move into 1st round of NBA draft

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