For now, two players seem guaranteed regular minutes off the Minnesota Timberwolves' bench this season: Ayo Dosunmu and Joan Beringer.
There are a handful of other reserve players who range from being very likely to earn a rotation spot to having a decent shot at regular minutes. In a sit-down interview with head coach Chris Finch, Britt Robson asked what two players who are in that range—Bones Hyland and Jaylen Clark—need to do in the preseason and what their prospects are for the season.
“Well, for me Bones has to continue to lean into defense as best he can,” Finch said. “With him, it is about establishing as much of a physical presence as he can. What we see now in the West is physical guards who just put their shoulder down and it doesn’t matter who or how, somebody gets that matchup, and you have to show more resilience there. You just have to.”
Finch then spoke about Clark.
“And Jaylen, there’s nothing. I’m a huge Jaylen fan. Always have been. And we know what the numbers say when he plays. Jaylen has to continue to improve his defense against number-one options. He’s good, but he has to study a little bit more, learn a little bit more, the nuance. How to guard these guys is not easy."
While Finch gave constructive criticism of both players, his comments about Hyland seemed more damning and more likely to be a reason not to play him.
Defense would be the reason Clark receives regular playing time
Hyland, who recently turned 26, is quick and has been a capable scorer throughout his career. He can put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses with this combination of speed and self-creation chops.
However, he's also quite small. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 169 pounds, even if Hyland were to provide more of the physical presence Finch talked about, there’s only so much he can do with his frame.
Hyland's defense is a major reason why his former teams, the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers, soured on him. If he’s not scoring, Hyland struggles to make much of an impact. That was seen in last season's playoffs when his shot wasn't falling, and Finch took him out of the rotation. Now, with LaMelo Ball in the mix, the Timberwolves don't need Hyland's skill set as much, which makes the possibility of Clark's jumping him in the rotation more likely.
Turning 25 next month, Clark is known for his defensive prowess. After just two seasons in the NBA—he missed his first year after being drafted due to injury—Clark can still learn to improve even more on that end of the floor.
The effort and intensity Clark provides nightly on that end can lead to quick fouls, but he committed fewer of them in 2025–26 than the previous year. Becoming a defensive stopper who plays at an All-Defensive level while guarding the opposition’s best perimeter players would help Clark earn a permanent spot in the rotation, even with his offensive limitations.
There will be times this season when both players see the court. Actions speak louder than words, but as training camp nears, Finch looks to have Clark ahead of Hyland in the pecking order for now. That can certainly change, though.
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