The Minnesota Timberwolves announced on Saturday afternoon that the team had officially waived Alize Johnson, Jules Bernard, Zyon Pullin and Tristen Newton ahead of Wednesday night's regular season opener.
Minnesota's roster is now fully set following the conclusion of the preseason slate. With roster decisions finalized and cuts made, Chris Finch and his staff can move forward with figuring out their current group.
Johnson had been out of the league since the 2022-23 season when he played in four games with the San Antonio Spurs. He was seen as a versatile addition who could create on offense and defend decently well. He brings some size to the table at 6-foot-7, but it would stand to reason that Minnesota deemed their wing rotation was a bit too deep to keep a guy who doesn't bring much shooting power to the table.
Alize Johnson, Jules Bernard, Zyon Pullin and Tristen Newton waived
With Bernard, he's another guy who hadn't suited up in an NBA uniform for over a year. Jules last played with the Washington Wizards during the 2023-24 season, logging 19 games and averaging 3.9 points and 7.8 minutes played. Again, I think the Wolves just couldn't justify retaining a player who only brought average shooting splits to the table.
As for Pullin, there wasn't a whole lot there. The five-year collegiate player spent four seasons at UC Riverside before transferring to University of Florida for his final year, averaging 15.5 points in Gainesville. He simply hasn't been able to carry that level of success over to the professional ranks yet, playing only three games with the Memphis Grizzlies last season before being waived by the Timberwolves' Western Conference rivals.
Newton might have been the most serious candidate for a two-way contract headed into preseason. But at the end of the day, the staff clearly didn't see him as a priority over Johnny Juzang. Minnesota has now locked in its roster and can shift full focus toward the regular season opener in Portland.