Before the Minnesota Timberwolves made a deal with the Brooklyn Nets to trade Julius Randle, Minnesota had a chance at picking up a first-round player, but everything changed when that deal was done and those effects carried over into Tuesday.

When the Timberwolves traded Randle to the Nets, they also sent their 28th-overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft with him, meaning that any selection that the Timberwolves made in the first round on Tuesday would be going straight to Brooklyn, but that didn't stop Minnesota for making a selection when the day came. 

At the 28th pick, the Nets selected Iowa senior forward Joshua Jefferson to be sent to the Nets and in the process Brooklyn has acquired an impactful and experienced forward to continue to add to the size in their roster. 

Jefferson was an Associated Press Second Team All-American selection, averaging 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, presenting a skillset that's a healthy mix of traditional size and defense as well as a fast-paced playmaker who can operate as a scorer on his own end.

The irony is that Jefferson would have been a perfect selection to fit into the Timberwolves existing roster, but as a consequence of their effort to shed salary by trading Randle away, the Timberwolves will have to miss out on what could have been an excellent fit for their own team.

As a result, the Timberwolves will have to wait until the second round to make their first selection of the draft as they received the Nets' 33rd-overall pick in the trade for Randle. 

Looking ahead to that round, the Timberwolves still need to address their lack of a true playmaker on the roster. At times, both Anthony Edwards and Randle himself took over playmaking duties at times, but neither operated as a true point guard and now that they're without Randle, they need a playmaker even more. 

As the first round of the draft showed, anything can happen when any team makes a selection. 

The Timberwolves will have comparatively less options when it comes to picking up a player that can make an impact right away and could push the Timberwolves in a different direction with their draft strategy and in turn they could try and pursue a point guard in free agency and try in a different direction with their draft picks.

For now, Minnesota will have to look ahead to Wednesday for whomever they land on with their early second-round selection and the Nets will be able to look forward to the contributions of Jefferson on their roster.