Zyon Pullin seems like he should be an NBA player—not a part-time player who spends much of his time in the G League, but a full-time NBA player.
He is currently on a two-way deal, which he signed in March with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Wolves have two open roster spots but will likely fill only one in order to stay under the second apron. Maybe Jonathan Kuminga gets that spot. If Kuminga decides to sign elsewhere, Pullin might still have a tough time getting his contract converted to a standard one.
Pullin may have difficulty landing a standard contract with Minnesota
Signing Kuminga would resolve the Timberwolves’ long-running question: Who will be their starting power forward? It would also shut the door on Minnesota adding anyone else to a standard contract.
Surely, Pullin would love to grab that roster spot. Even if Kuminga joins another team, though, it might be a long road ahead for Pullin to earn it.
At 6-foot-4, Pullin is strictly a guard. The issue for him is that it’s fairly evident that the Timberwolves could use more frontcourt help. There’s also no one behind Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer who can play center other than Trey Lyles (who is a power forward) and second-year two-way player Rocco Zikarsky (who is a project player).
While summer league play should sometimes be taken with a grain of salt, Pullin often looked like one of the best players on the floor. In five games, he averaged 21.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. In November of last year, he was named the G League’s Player of the Month with the Iowa Wolves.
The Timberwolves arguably have the most dynamic starting backcourt in the league in Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball. They also have Ayo Dosunmu, Bones Hyland, Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark, and Josh Green, who can all provide quality minutes in the backcourt.
It's too early to speculate if Donte DiVincenzo will return from his torn Achilles this season, but that's another guard that would make the rotation even more crowded.
If Pullin remains on a two-way contract, don't expect him to see much time on the floor with the Timberwolves. Very few teams used their two-way guys less in the NBA than Minnesota did last year. Before he was waived, Johnny Juzang was often on the active roster, but he never played unless the game was no longer in question.
Pullin deserves a standard contract. Unfortunately, it may not happen in Minnesota without a trade to free up another roster spot.
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