Karl-Anthony Towns is already taking a page out of the book of another former No. 1 pick, firmly engaging in "chill mode" ahead of the 2015 NBA Draft.
The Kentucky center will not physically be working out for any teams during the pre-draft process, according to a report from Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
A consensus top-two pick and the favorite prospect of most NBA teams, Towns has little to gain through the pre-draft process, and his camp clearly understands that. Were he to workout extensively with a team, he runs the risk of suffering an injury or having a poor showing. If he doesn't, teams are left to comb over his extensive and impressive footage from his freshman season at Kentucky.
This shouldn't be of great concern to teams. Towns is a fairly well-known commodity, an elite defensive force with a developing offensive game and the potential to become a floor-spacer with further development of his jumper. He has the highest upside of any player in the draft, and his floor is appreciable, too. Most teams are said to be enamored with him, and a good or bad workout wouldn't move the needle much.
Towns will interview with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers, the teams that own the No. 1 and 2 picks, respectively. That will give each team the chance to get to know him a little better on a personal level, an important consideration, but not one that could be expected to change the thinking of decision makers much.
Interestingly, the Wolves may be the one team that wouldn't take Towns over Jahlil Okafor at No. 1, as president and head coach Flip Saunders is believed to be a big Okafor supporter. While the Lakers are casting a wide net at No. 2, there's little chance they'd pass on Towns if he's available, explaining why the center isn't interviewing with the Philadelphia 76ers or New York Knicks.
theScore's early mock draft has the Wolves taking Okafor based on the reports of Saunders' interest in him, which would see Towns land in Hollywood. Should Minnesota come away from his interview more impressed with Towns and draft him, the next few picks would be in a minor state of flux, with D'Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay, and possibly more names factoring in.
