(Reprinted with permission from the St. Paul Pioneer Press.) In terms of excitement, the 2020 COMO draft class is as underwhelming as the league has seen. Entering Saturday, teams were doing everything they could to dump their 2020 picks in exchange for something—anything—more valuable. That lack of enthusiasm continued after the clock started. Georgia's Anthony Edwards—the top pick in the NBA draft—fell to Memphis at No. 4 and was soon traded to Sunnyvale as part of a salary-dumping deal. Not exactly the kind of welcome typically bestowed on an elite prospect. If this class does have a readymade star, it's LaMelo Ball. The Minnesnowta Chill wasted no time bringing him to St. Paul with the No. 1 COMO selection. General manager Matthew Taylor sent the pick to the league office 45 minutes in advance of the draft. "It was a no brainer," Taylor told the Pioneer Press. "We sent our scouting department home last week because we knew LaMelo was our guy." Chaska took Memphis' James Wiseman at No. 2, and Scranton went with the French Floridian, Killian Hayes, at No. 3. That left Memphis with a somewhat obvious selection—Edwards—at No. 4, but the Hornets spent their entire clock trying to trade out of the pick. They failed, but did eventually ship Edwards to Sunnyvale in exchange for a protected 2021 first-rounder and the Slayers' absorption of Otto Porter's undesirable deal. Memphis stayed busy this week, taking part in a few of the league's 12 pre-Saturday trades. Saturday was no exception. They made the above deal with Sunnyvale, and also sent the No. 9 pick to Hamburg BSV in exchange for Nos. 12 and 14. The Hornets closed the first round with Kentucky point guard Tyrese Maxey, which was a bit of a reach, but fit the chaotic pattern other teams laid out. The NBA's No. 4 pick (Patrick Williams) didn't go until No. 10 to Manhattan, while the No. 5 NBA selection (Isaac Okoro) waited until Kansas City selected him at No. 13. Teams kept viewers guessing all morning, doing their part to at least deliver some drama on a day that lacked much anticipation. Here's a look at how it all went down: Official 2020 COMO Draft results
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The offseason trading window runs from Tues., Dec. 1 (Noon CT) to Sat., Dec. 5 (Noon CT). The COMO Rookie Draft takes place Sat., Dec. 5, at 8 a.m. CT on Twitter @COMOLeague.
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