Timberwolves to sign Marcus Georges-Hunt to training camp deal
By Ben Beecken
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.
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.