Eric Paschall agrees to one-year deal with Timberwolves

Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday morning that free agent forward Eric Paschall had agreed to a one-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. After the team signed Nathan Knight to a standard contract earlier in the week, Paschall’s addition now leaves the roster sitting at 16 players.

Entering his fourth year in the NBA, Paschall was a standout during his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors, earning an All-Rookie First Team selection. As the 41st overall pick in the 2019 Draft, he vastly outplayed expectations in his first pro year, averaging 14 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

After he dealt with injury troubles, he saw his role diminish in his second year in San Francisco, as it was harder for him to keep up his production with a more talented roster around him. Last summer, he was traded to the Utah Jazz. He wasn’t able to truly find his footing in his one season in Utah, as he averaged just 5.8 points on 12.7 minutes per contest.

As a result, this signing for the Timberwolves might seem like something of a reclamation project. But despite the declining numbers since his excellent rookie campaign, there’s still reason to believe Eric Paschall could end up being a very good signing for Minnesota.

While his scoring numbers have gone down, Paschall has done a good job of modernizing his game to be a better fit in modern offenses. Not only has his three-point percentage gone up in every season of his career so far, but he’s also developed a far better shot profile than when he first entered the league.

In his second season with Golden State, he took just 18.1% of his shots from outside the arc. That number went all the way up to 46% last year with the Jazz. So while he may not have had the shooting volume he had prior, it’s clear that he’s going to be more effective in a modern system going forward.

With his raw athleticism and improved shooting percentages, Timberwolves fans shouldn’t be surprised if Chris Finch ends up finding a spot in the rotation for Paschall.