Report: NBA front offices expect LaMelo Ball to go No. 1 overall

There appears to be growing consensus around who will be the No. 1 pick in next week’s NBA Draft.

According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, the majority of NBA front offices believe LaMelo Ball will be selected first overall in the draft. There is still some question whether the Minnesota Timberwolves will make the pick, or whether another team will trade up to take Ball.

The Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, and Oklahoma City Thunder have been named by NBA executives as teams that might be willing to trade up to No. 1 to select Ball.

For all the chatter about a mediocre pre-draft process, Ball seems entrenched at the top of the draft. This makes it sound like the only question is which team he’ll go to, not which pick. The Timberwolves have made no secret of the fact that they’re open to a trade. For now, though, nothing appears close.