Minnesota Timberwolves to sign C.J. Williams to two-way contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves have reportedly filled their second and final two-way contract spot, signing shooting guard C.J. Williams.

After filling their first two-way contract slot with undrafted free agent Jared Terrell just days after June’s draft, the Timberwolves have reportedly made a selection on their second two-way deal.

C.J. Williams played last season on a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, appearing in 16 games with the Agua Caliente Clippers of the G-League and 38 games with the big club, including 17 starts.

Williams is a 28-year-old, 6-foot-5 shooting guard who was a four-year player at North Carolina State, and after going undrafted in 2012, has spent time overseas and in the G-League before finally playing in the NBA last season.

In Europe, Williams averaged 13.1 points in 29.8 minutes per game over two seasons and shot a pedestrian 34.3 percent from beyond the arc. Over parts of three seasons spit between three different G-League clubs, Williams has put up 14 points on 29.4 minutes per game while shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range.

Notably, Williams upped his per-game averages to 16.5 points and 2.6 assists last year for the G-League Clippers while hitting on 37.9 percent of his threes.

Williams was never a shooter in college, either, making only 30.7 percent of his 3-point attempts in four years with the Wolfpack and 34.3 percent as a senior.

But last year, with the lottery-bound Clippers, Williams was given a chance and responded well, particularly on defense. While it was still only 707 total minutes over 38 games, Williams posted solid defensive metrics and managed to shoot 81.3 percent from the free throw line, where he’s been a solid contributor regardless of where he’s played.

All things considered, it would be hard to find any downside to this acquisition. The Timberwolves are acquiring a seasoned professional who will play solid wing defense when called upon, and there may still be some 3-point shooting upside, given his G-League success and consistent free throw shooting.

Last year, the Timberwolves essentially forgot that Amil Jefferson and Anthony Brown were under their control down in Des Moines, with the latter never appearing in an NBA game and Brown only appearing in a single blowout loss during the last 10 days of the regular season.

During the upcoming season, the Wolves will no doubt at least enter the season intending to take advantage of the two-way spots, as the bench is a bit thinner overall — although it depends on how quickly rookies Josh Okogie and Keita Bates-Diop show the ability to handle professional minutes.

Good job by the Timberwolves front office on this acquisition, and here’s hoping that Williams gets a chance to show what he can do at the NBA level.