After some significant rumors, the Minnesota Timberwolves officially signed Bones Hyland on Monday afternoon. This is largely a depth move to round out an already loaded Wolves' roster. However, signing Hyland could also cause the Wolves to change their roster in a minor way. Johnny Juzang is currently on a training camp deal. The 6-foot-7 wing will compete for the Wolves' final standard roster spot.
Regardless, it's possible, perhaps even likely, that the Wolves will look to keep an open standard roster spot for some extra financial flexibility. If the Wolves opt to go this route, it's possible that they give Juzang a two-way contract and part ways with Tristen Newton.
After signing Hyland, Newton becomes somewhat expendable as another depth point guard. While it hasn't been reported yet, connecting the dots, I could see this being a possible move for the Wolves in October.
Newton would be the odd man out if the Wolves convert Juzang to a two-way contract
The Wolves signed Newton to a two-way contract in the middle of last season. With the Iowa Wolves G League squad, Newton averaged 16.3 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.9 rebounds. However, he also shot just 40 percent from the field and 29.9 percent from 3-point range. In the NBA Summer League, Newton posted averages of 9.2 ppg, 3.8 apg, and 2.8 rpg.
Newton's lack of a jump shot has been a concern dating back to his college days. Still, there's a lot to like about Newton's game as he is a do-it-all guard with solid positional size at 6-foot-5. This move isn't about a lack of belief in Newton, as he's clearly a two-level player, but he would likely be the odd man out if the Wolves look to convert Juzang to a two-way deal. With the Bones signing now official, this becomes even more true.
Juzang, who recently averaged 8.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, and 1.1 apg on 42.9/37.6/84.9 shooting splits with the Utah Jazz, has proven himself more in the NBA. Nevertheless, the financial hit of signing him to a standard deal might not be worth it, especially since Juzang likely won't crack the Wolves' rotation even if he makes the team.
In the second apron era, it's become increasingly common to keep a roster spot open for most of the season, and the Wolves could look to do just that. While the Wolves might not want to give Juzang a standard roster spot, they'd likely want to retain someone who has already somewhat proven himself at the NBA level.
The Wolves are most likely to part ways with Newton, as second-round pick Rocco Zikarsky and recently signed Enrique Freeman occupy the other two-way slots. Overall, after signing Hyland, Newton becomes the clear odd man out if the Wolves want to sign Juzang to a two-way deal.