How well have the Timberwolves Two-Way contracts performed?

Through the course of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Minnesota Timberwolves ran aground thanks to a significant number of injuries to key players. If not for the contribution of players signed to Two-Way contracts, the Timberwolves would have struggled to stay above .500. So why not revisit the Timberwolves Two-Way contracts from last season?

Ever since the Minnesota Timberwolves released forward Eric Paschall from his Two-Way contract, the question has been itching for an answer: Who will the Timberwolves sign to take his vacated contract spot on the team’s roster? Well, before we try to answer that, let’s step back and reorient ourselves to what exactly is a Two-Way contract, and who is eligible to be signed to one.

Timberwolves Two-Way contracts

NBA teams have needed to enhance their 15-player roster due to the lengthy 82-game seasons but did not want to expand the number of active player contracts. That created the need for the Two-Way contract, and so beginning with the 2017-18 NBA season, the NBA created the Two-Way contract that allows NBA teams to sign two additional players to exclusive contracts.

As the name suggests, players who default that player to their affiliated G-League team, but who can be called up to play for their NBA team a limited number of games each season.

Per the Frequently Asked Questions from the official GLeague.NBA.com website, NBA teams can sign players with four years of service or fewer to two-way contracts, allowing them to retain their rights while the player spends the bulk of the season in the NBA G League. So who has played for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Two-Way contracts?

1. 2017-18  SG Anthony Brown
2. 2018-19 SG Jared Terrell, SG C.J. Williams
3. 2019-20 PG Jordan McLaughlin *, SF Kelan Martin
4. 2020-21 PG Jordan McLaughlin *
5. 2021-22 F Nathan Knight *, PG McKinley Wright IV *
6. 2022-23 C Luka Garza, F Matth Ryan
7. 2023-24 C Luka Garza, TBD

That’s a pretty impressive list.

When the Minnesota Timberwolves adopted the new Two-Way contract roster feature, there was a bit of uncertainty as to how to make the most effective use. So let’s take a stroll down memory lane and revisit past players.