The Minnesota Timberwolves waiving Johnny Juzang comes with some ripple effects for the team. Most notably, it makes it extremely likely that the Wolves will look "outside the house" to fill their final roster spot. However, another interesting tidbit is that the Wolves have an open two-way spot.
Unlike their open standard roster spot, the Wolves have a clear in-house candidate for their two-way spot, as G League standout Jules Bernard should fill this spot. The 6-foot-6 wing is averaging 23 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists with Iowa. Bernard previously appeared in 19 games with the Washington Wizards two seasons ago.
While the Wolves could hypothetically search around the league to fill their two-way spot, having such a good G League player makes this decision likely to tilt to Bernard.
Jules Bernard feels primed to earn a two-way contract
Zyon Pullin is another fantastic in-house option to earn a two-way spot. Unfortunately, Pullin has been sidelined with an injury since December. As such, Bernard seems like the clear favorite to earn this spot.
At 26, Bernard isn't a high upside player. Regardless, rewarding a stellar G League player with a two-way spot for the rest of the year is a nice gesture.
The UCLA product is truly a jack-of-all-trades type of player. Whether it's 3-point shooting, playmaking, finishing, rebounding, or defense, Bernard can provide a little bit of everything. This skill set gives Bernard a pathway to earning an NBA roster spot at some point down the road.
While Bernard playing meaningful NBA minutes this year is out of the question, keeping this type of player around could make sense, and hey, who knows, maybe he could earn a standard roster spot next year. The Wolves' wing depth is an area of need, and filling Juzang's open spot with a player of his same position makes sense.
Again, Bernard's age limits his upside. The counterpoint to that is that Bernard has a more ready-made NBA skill set than other two-way players. His G League production indicates that he is ready for a real NBA chance. To me, there's no harm in giving Bernard a two-way spot, and it's a move that could possibly pay off next season.
You never know what to expect from Tim Connelly and the Wolves. Thus, they might search around the league to fill this spot. Nevertheless, Bernard feels like a logical candidate to slide into this open two-way spot given his stellar G League play and connection with the organization.