Clark is getting a well-deserved bump
By Nolan O’Hara | Timberwolves on SI
The Minnesota Timberwolves are planning to convert guard Jaylen Clark’s two-way contract into a fully guaranteed two-year NBA deal, his agent, Todd Ramasar, told ESPN on Wednesday. Additionally, the Wolves are planning to sign free agent guard Bones Hyland to a two-way contract after Clark’s contract is converted, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Clark has been a revelation for the Wolves since stepping into the rotation unexpectedly on Jan. 29 against the Phoenix Suns. He’s quickly become a regular part of the rotation while living up to his reputation as a defensive stalwart, and he’s even started a trio of games against the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder. Clark is averaging 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 0.6 assists per game in February since he’s become a regular part of the rotation. The move to convert his two-way deal into a standard NBA contract was inevitable. The new two-year deal is a guaranteed minimum contract for the remainder of this season and next season, according to local Wolves reporter Dane Moore.
Hyland, who was drafted by current Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly with the Denver Nuggets with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, will join Minnesota on a two-way deal. Hyland, 24, is a player who’s shown flashes, averaging 10.1 points per game in 69 games during his rookie season, but has seen less opportunities in recent years. This season, he’s played in just 20 games for the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 7.2 points, 1.4 assists and 1.2 rebounds per game. The Clippers traded Hyland to the Atlanta Hawks, who waived Hyland to make him a free agent.
Clark has quickly showed the Wolves enough to commit to him for this season and next beyond his two-way deal, allowing Hyland to join the fold and give himself a chance for a fresh start at a new home.
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