The Timberwolves are reportedly signing shooting guard Marcus Georges-Hunt to a training camp contract.
Yep, it’s August. And that means we’re talking about Marcus Georges-Hunt.
The Timberwolves will reportedly be signing the 6′-6″ shooting guard, as reported first by The Vertical’s Shams Charania. At the time of the report, the extent of the contract — whether it was a standard contract, training camp deal, or two-way contract — was unknown, but local friends Jon Krawczynski and Darren Wolfson have cleared that up for us.
Georges-Hunt another camp deal for Wolves, who have their eyes on established vets for final three roster spots
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) August 8, 2017
And told it is not a 2-way. Still have one 2-way to offer. #Twolves https://t.co/ZckTojdT47
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) August 8, 2017
First, let’s clarify the roster spot talk. The Wolves have already signed guard Anthony Brown to a two-way deal and added guard Melo Trimble via a partially guaranteed pact.
Trimble, of course, doesn’t count against the roster in terms of available spots, while Brown fills one of the two two-way contract slots that are brand new for this season. As Doogie points out above, the Wolves still have one of the two-ways to fill. Common sense would suggest that they look for someone with some experience that could contribute in a pinch, right along the same lines as the Brown addition.
The Georges-Hunt deal is virtually identical to the Trimble signing, at least in terms of what it means to the roster — which is probably nothing. The two guards are likely camp bodies unless there are injuries or if one of the duo impresses to the point that they deserve a guaranteed contract. It seems unlikely, but far from impossible.
As the above link from The Vertical details, Georges-Hunt was apparently claimed by many teams on the waiver wire, but all of those teams were capped out and could not add him. He almost certainly will have a better shot of sticking than Trimble, given his D-League experience and interest from teams around the league.
Last year, Georges-Hunt averaged a whopping 36.4 minutes per game with the Maine Red Claws, shooting 39.2 percent from beyond the arc while launching 4.2 long-range attempts per contest. He put up 15.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and one steal per game — impressive numbers for a 6′-6″ shooting guard.
Georges-Hunt played at Georgia Tech and was undrafted last summer, but his 6′-9″ wingspan, long-range shooting ability, activity on the defensive end of the floor, and D-League production earned him a pair of 10-day contract opportunities last season. He only played in five games for Orlando, scoring 14 points in 48 minutes while also grabbing nine rebounds.
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There does appear to be some upside here with the 23-year-old, and while the signing is completely risk-free, it seems to be a solid pickup for the Timberwolves.