Timberwolves Exercise Rookie Options; Convert New Sharpshooter Contract

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Terrence Shannon Jr - Playoffs - Oklahoma City Thunder at Minnesota Timberwolves
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Timberwolves are done with their 2025 preseason slate of games. Now, they have a few days off while they wait for the regular season to tip off in Portland Wednesday night, October 22, against the Trail Blazers.

In the meantime, some moves needed to be made, in order to round out the final opening night roster. So Saturday evening, the Wolves announced those transactions. First, they waived four depth players, Jules Bernard, Tristen Newton, Zyon Pullin and Alize Johnson.

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived guards Jules Bernard, Tristen Newton and Zyon Pullin and forward Alize Johnson. The Timberwolves roster stands at 17 players.

Minnesota Timberwolves Press Release – October 18, 2025 – 4:20 p.m. CDT

Minnesota Timberwolves convert contract of Johnny Juzang

But that was only the beginning. From there, the MN Timberwolves converted the contract of UCLA’s Johnny Juzang — a 24-year-old wing who fell out of favor in Utah after three seasons but shot his way into a two-way contract during his preseason tryout in Minnesota.

Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has converted guard Johnny Juzang to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.

Minnesota Timberwolves Press Release – October 18, 2025 – 4:20 p.m. CDT

While Juzang’s signing this fall flew relatively under the radar, he certainly did not come in as a scrub with little NBA experience. After two successful years at UCLA (played one season at Kentucky in 2019-20), Johnny came out after his junior season back in 2022.

While he went undrafted, Juzang quickly earned a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, out of the preseason. A few months later, in February 2023, he found his way onto an NBA court for the first time.

Juzang ended up playing 18 games that first season in Utah, a number that grew over the next two years, all the way up to 64 games played (18 starts) in 2024-25. In his final year wearing a Jazz uniform, Johnny averaged 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.8 minutes per game during his final season with the Jazz.

Wolves exercise rookie options on both Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr

All eyes will be on Rob Dillingham, when the season opens in Portland next week. How much will the 20-year-old play, how soon will Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch call his name off the bench? Those are only the start of the questions that surround the second year point guard out of Kentucky.

  • Rob Dillingham 2024-25 Stats (49 Games) : 10.5 MPG | 4.5 PPG | 2.0 APG | 1.0 RPG | 1.1 TO

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced last week that their other 2024 first round pick, Terrence Shannon Jr has earned his spot in the regular season rotation and Finchy confirmed he will be called upon early and often, starting Wednesday in Portland.

But no matter their roles now, president of basketball operations Tim Connelly showed confidence in the future of both youngsters Saturday evening, when he exercised the first round options on their first round rookie contracts, locking them both in through the 2026-27 season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has exercised team options on guards Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. 

Minnesota Timberwolves Press Release – October 18, 2025 – 4:26 p.m. CDT

During the preseason, the 2024 No. 8 overall pick teetered between reckless to downright ugly, which isn’t exactly the step forward in development that Wolves coaches and executives were hoping to see when the team arrived at Mayo Clinic Square for the start of training camp last month.

  • T.J. Shannon Jr. 2024-25 Stats (32 Games) : 10.6 MPG | 4.3 PPG | 1.0 APG | 1.5 RPG | 0.5 TO

TJ Shannon Jr, on the other hand, has been the anti Rob Dillingham, ever since the 25-year-old found his footing off the bench toward the end of last season. In 2025-26, the Minnesota Timberwolves hope to use him as both a high-minute stopper on defense, and offensive igniter on offense, if he can prove to be effective in that role.

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