Former UCLA wing Jaylen Clark has officially signed his first NBA contract, having inked a two-way deal with the Timberwolves, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
Clark had a big junior year for the Bruins in 2022/23, increasing his scoring average to 13.0 PPG while also contributing 6.0 RPG and 2.6 SPG in 30 contests (30.5 MPG). He was named to the All-Pac-12 team and was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Clark, who injured his Achilles earlier this year and underwent surgery after the season, isn’t expected to be ready for the start of his rookie year. However, Minnesota is optimistic about what he’ll be able to bring to the team once he’s healthy — after selecting him with the No. 53 pick last month, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly referred to Clark as “the best perimeter defender in the draft.”
Luka Garza holds one of the two-way contract slots for the Timberwolves, so they have one opening remaining. The best candidate to fill it is Matt Ryan, who is still a restricted free agent after receiving a two-way qualifying offer in June.
Of the 58 players selected in the 2023 draft, 38 have now officially signed NBA contracts, as our tracker shows.