Johnny Juzang’s Surprise Move: What Minnesota Timberwolves Hope to Gain from This One-Year Deal

He is now headed to Minnesota on a one-year contract, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. This is going to be a minimum contract and it is not guaranteed, reports Chris Hine of the Star Tribune, meaning Juzang is going to need to earn a roster spot (or a two-way spot) in training camp. The Timberwolves currently have 13 guaranteed contracts on the books, so there are a couple of open roster spots, but Juzang is going to have to work to prove he should fill that role.

However, Juzang is not good on the defensive end and that could be a challenge on a deep Timberwolves team that has reached the Western Conference Finals in consecutive years. Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels are expected to be the starters on the wings for the Timberwolves next season, with Donte DiVincenzo, Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark in the rotation (plus Joe Ingles). In the best of circumstances, Juzang is going to be lightly used in the rotation, but Chris Finch may like the idea of a scorer off the bench he can turn to in certain spots.Johnny Juzang, once a dazzling talent at UCLA, carved out a solid niche as a wing player for the Utah Jazz last season, averaging a respectable 8.9 points per game. But with the Jazz bringing in Ace Bailey, Juzang found himself squeezed out, forced to look elsewhere to keep his NBA dreams alive. Now, he’s set to join the Minnesota Timberwolves on a one-year minimum deal — and make no mistake, it’s a gritty uphill battle from here. This isn’t a guaranteed contract; Juzang has got to prove he’s worth a roster spot during training camp, in a team already crowded with talent. The Timberwolves, fresh off back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances, boast a loaded wing rotation featuring heavy hitters like Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels — which means Juzang will have to finesse his game, especially on defense, to carve out even limited minutes. Yet, with a sharp shooting touch (37.6% from beyond the arc last year) and the ability to create his own shot, he offers the kind of spark Coach Chris Finch might just rely on as a scorer off the bench in clutch moments. It’s a make-or-break chapter for Juzang, and honestly, I’m curious to see if he can hustle his way into that lineup and prove that he belongs. LEARN MOREFormer UCLA star Johnny Juzang developed into a respectable wing rotation player in Utah who averaged 8.9 points a game last season, but with the addition of Ace Bailey to the Jazz, Juzang was the odd man out.Juzang spent two seasons in Utah on a two-way contract, developing his game. The man could always shoot the rock, 37.6% on 3-pointers last season, and create a shot for himself with the ball in his hands. However, he needed to work to become a better off-ball player and scorer, something he did well enough to earn a regular contract with the team and become part of the rotation in Utah, playing almost 20 minutes a night for the Jazz.