The Minnesota Timberwolves’ summer league schedule is now complete. A valiant comeback effort on Friday fell short in overtime, and Minnesota will finish with a 2-3 record.
Fans got to see Joan Beringer (for one game), their two 2026 draft picks, and all three players who were on two-way deals to end last season. Isaiah Evans agreed to a four-year deal, but their other second-round pick, Trey Kaufman-Renn, will likely earn a two-way contract.
Unless Zyon Pullin receives a standard contract (a possibility), that would leave just one more two-way deal available for Minnesota. It seemingly comes down to two guys who were on two-way last season: Enrique Freeman and Rocco Zikarsky. After summer league play, Freeman could be the odd man out.
Freeman could be the odd man out of Minnesota
An advantage Zikarsky has is that the Timberwolves do not have a third-string center on their roster. If something injury-related occurs with Gobert or Beringer during the regular season, the Timberwolves may need to call on Zikarsky to get some playing time with the NBA club.
The 45th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Zikarsky is a huge human being (listed at 7-foot-3) who has exhibited the ability to be a stretch big. Zikarsky didn’t shoot the three-ball well in summer league, but after a slow start, he began to play better in the final three games.
He’s also nearly six years younger than Freeman, who will turn 26 on July 29. A 6-foot-9 forward, Freeman had somewhat of a quiet summer league, as he reached double figures in scoring just twice in the five games. He’s a strong rebounder, something Minnesota could use after losing Julius Randle and Naz Reid this offseason, but he hasn’t shown the upside that someone like Zikarsky has.
With two open roster spots, the Timberwolves could give a standard deal to summer league standout Pullin. That could free up room for both Freeman and Zikarsky to remain on two-way deals. Still, this might not be prudent given Minnesota's cap crunch and the need for extra frontcourt play.
Minnesota could also look to hold on to Nate Santos by handing him a two-way contract. The 24-year-old was lights out from deep in summer league, connecting on 51.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Regardless, Freeman could be the odd man out. If that’s the case, he could still be rostered in the G League by the Iowa Wolves if he is not added by another team. Freeman also may have the opportunity to participate in preseason games in October, giving the Timberwolves a further look.
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