Minnesota Timberwolves: Grading the 2018 offseason

Two-Way Contracts

Last year, the Timberwolves dragged out the process of adding players to the brand new two-way contracts, eventually inking a pair of older players in Amile Jefferson and Anthony Brown. Neither player is back in the organization this year, and the Wolves moved on quickly.

In the days following the draft, the Timberwolves signed former University of Rhode Island star Jared Terrell to a two-way deal.

Here’s what we said at the time:

"Between his sophomore and junior seasons, Terrell averaged 13.1 points, 2.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting just 40.7 percent from the field and 34.7 percent on 3-point attempts. As a senior, Terrell put up 16.8 points, 2.4 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game on 42.7 percent on field goals and 41.4 percent from beyond the arc. And not only did his 3-point percentage improve, it took place while he launched even more threes per game, going from 3.8 per game as a junior to 5.3 per game as a senior, and his 3-point rate increased too, from .392 to .405. He also saw increases in free throw percentage, steal rate, and block rate while his turnover rate declined. … Comparing size, style of play, and overall numbers, there are some similarities to Sean Kilpatrick, a 6-foot-4 guard who debuted as a rookie with the Timberwolves at age-25 back in 2015 and has bounced around the NBA to several different teams since then. If his senior season was for real, he should be a better shooter than Kilpatrick but it’s not clear that he’ll be more than a high-volume scorer as a pro."

Not a bad use for a two-way contract, as Terrell certainly appears to be the type of player who can come in and play off the bench in the event of lingering injuries to members of the WOlves’ regular rotation. There’s probably some upside there as a shooter as well.

At the end of July, it was reported the Wolves were planning to use their second two-way contract spot on C.J. Williams, who spent last season on a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Williams is a 28-year-old, 6-foot-5 shooting guard who has averaged 13.1 points per game over two seasons in Europe and 16.5 points per game last year in the G-League with the Clippers. He’s a solid defender and a decent-enough 3-point shooter to keep defenses honest.

While the Williams signing is much more in line with last year’s use of the two-way roster spots, there is some upside to pay attention to in the Terrell acquisition. Overall, it’s tough to be too upset with how Thibodeau has handled the G-League roster so far this summer.

Grade: A-