Timberwolves officially ink A.J. Lawson to two-way contract

The Minnesota Timberwolves made their signing of former University of South Carolina guard A.J. Lawson official Wednesday afternoon. After showing out in NBA Summer League for the Dallas Mavericks, the Wolves took notice of his play and wasted no time in offering him a deal.

Lawson played three years at South Carolina before entering his name in the draft in 2021. After going undrafted, he played last season in the NBA G-League with the College Park Skyhawks, before also getting reps with the Guelph Nighthawks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

A native of Toronto, Lawson agreed to a two-way contract with the Timberwolves, meaning he will split time this season with the Minnesota Timberwolves and their G-League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves.

If Lawson’s Summer League play is any indicator, he should be in for a solid campaign this year. He put up15.6 points per game for the Mavericks on 51.9% from the floor and a red-hot 50% from three.

It’s entirely possible that he can become a rotational NBA player in due time. Some guys are just late bloomers or need a few more years to develop, and it appears Lawson could be hitting his stride at just the right time. It’s smart for teams to keep their eyes out for players like him.

If you need any more evidence that he’s pro material, just look at his college career. Lawson was a three-level scorer for the Gamecocks, functioning as an on and off-ball threat while putting up solid numbers as a volume shooter. He averaged 16.6 points and was also a capable threat on the defensive side of the ball in his junior year, grabbing 1.5 steals per game for South Carolina.

Two-way contracts have historically been a good way for young, unproven players to showcase their skill and prove they can be a meaningful piece for an NBA team. In Lawson’s case, that may come to fruition sooner rather than later. At 22 years old, he has enough experience at the pro level that he should be able to find success consistently with the Iowa Wolves.

At the same time, he still has plenty of time to carve out a career for himself. If he puts in the work, I think it’s likely he could put himself in position to earn a standard contract this time next year.