Bates-Diop has long been the favorite for Minnesota at 20. The Ohio State senior would give Thibs an older player to work with, as well as another frontcourt piece who fits the mold of modern-day fours.
A long, versatile athlete, Bates-Diop can defend multiple positions, both inside and on the perimeter. He’ll need to add strength to play power forward full-time, but his broad shoulders should make that easy.
Offensively, Bates-Diop is an isolation savant, using a variety of moves to score on the block. He also shoots well in spot-up scenarios and can make strong cuts off the ball. Adding another stretch big who can defend multiple positions would help the Wolves tremendously.