The Minnesota Timberwolves signed Johnny Juzang to a non-guaranteed contract during the offseason. However, through two preseason games, Juzang is playing excellent basketball and proving himself worthy of a roster spot. The UCLA product is averaging 18 points, four rebounds and shooting an astonishing 60 percent from 3-point range.
Tuesday’s preseason game against the Pacers was a monster performance for Juzang, who poured in a game-high 20 points in just 14 minutes and delivered six shots from beyond the arc. Juzang is also a proven NBA contributor, averaging 19.5 minutes, 8.5 points while shooting 38.4 percent from 3-point land over the past two seasons with the Utah Jazz.
Simply put, Juzang is too good not to earn some sort of roster spot with the Wolves.
Johnny Juzang flew from downtown tonight for the @Timberwolves 🔥
👌 20 points
👌 6-8 from the center
👌 6-9 from the floor pic.twitter.com/wbpzfbcofi– NBA (@nba) October 8, 2025
Juzang belongs on the Timberwolves roster
Deep rotation players or guys who close out the roster need to have at least one bankable skill, and Juzang’s knockdown shooting gives him that. While Juzang is somewhat of a 3-point specialist, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing as shooting is at a premium in the modern NBA.
Juzang’s shooting and off-ball skills make him an ideal fit alongside the Wolves stars. His ability to play like Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle would make him a valuable piece. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the 6-foot-7 wing becomes a true mainstay in a loaded Wolves rotation. Either way, Juzang is more than capable of making plays when the situation calls for it, and his shooting makes him a seamless fit with anyone in the lineup.
The reason why Juzang was signed to a non-guaranteed contract in the first place is due to Minnesota’s high payroll. Despite Juzang’s stellar preseason, it’s unclear if he deserves a regular roster spot. Fortunately, the 24-year-old is eligible for a two-way roster.
The Wolves would have to cut their two-way players again to give him this opportunity. Tristen Newton or Enrique Freeman could be released for this, as the Wolves will of course keep 2025 second-round pick Rocco Zikarsky.
This move makes a lot of sense given Juzang’s desire for financial flexibility and stellar preseason. It’s possible that Juzang plays quite a few games with the Wolves, and they end up converting him before the season ends. Many teams have done a similar strategy with their two-way players when holding down an open roster spot in recent years.
Whether the Wolves convert Juzang to a standard contract or he gets a two-way deal, it’s clear he’s done enough to stay in Minnesota.
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