Many are assuming that Johnny Juzang will be on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ opening night roster come October 22. Nothing is set in stone yet, though. Juzang is just on a training camp deal that was agreed upon in early August, meaning he can be waived without penalty. Thursday night was a harsh reality that could still be on the table for the Timberwolves to do as the regular season nears.
Johnny Juzang received a DNP in Thursday's preseason game
Minnesota was defeated by the Chicago Bulls in preseason action on Thursday by the score of 126-120. The outing is the Wolves’ second-to-last preseason game, and the first leg of a back-to-back. It’s also one where the Timberwolves played all their key guys (minus Naz Reid, who was out).
Altogether, 12 players received minutes for Minnesota on Thursday. That includes players such as Leonard Miller and Bones Hyland, two who barely played while on the team last season. The 24-year-old Juzang did not get off the bench.
It was a bit surprising as Juzang appeared in the first four preseason contests while averaging 16.7 minutes.
Still looks likely that Juzang will make the opening night roster
The Timberwolves’ preseason finale will take place on Friday against the 76ers. Minnesota played the starters on Thursday with the expectation that they would sit on Friday. That should ensure that Juzang gets the opportunity to play somewhat heavy minutes and make a real impact.
In his first four preseason games, the 6-foot-7 wing had averaged 15.3 points on 52.5/56.0/83.3 shooting splits. While other areas haven’t been great (5 turnovers and just 2 assists), Juzang has been shooting the ball quite well. His 3-point shooting gives him a real chance to make the final roster.
Juzang spent the previous three seasons as a member of the Jazz. It wasn't until last season, though, that he really became a part of Utah's rotation. He has connected on 36.3% of his 3-point tries in his career and was at 37.6% in 2024-25.
In the end, I still fully expect Juzang to be rostered by the team on opening night, whether that be on a two-way or standard spot. Perhaps Chris Finch went into the game knowing he’d get the night off, and he just wasn’t included on the injury report. Regardless, Juzang will have the opportunity to further cement his spot on Friday with a solid showing.