Juzang couldn't crack a playoff-bound rotation, leading to his departure after hitting a two-way game limit.
The Minnesota Timberwolves waived guard Johnny Juzang on Wednesday, ending a short but hopeful stint with the franchise that never turned into what either side had hoped for, as the team looks to lock in its rotation for a playoff push with a 34-22 record and the sixth seed in a loaded Western Conference.
Juzang signed a two-way contract with Minnesota over the offseason after spending his first three NBA seasons with the Utah Jazz.
He quickly turned heads during the preseason by averaging 13.8 points per game while shooting 48.3% from three-point range across five outings, but that early success never carried over once the real games started for the 24-year-old wing.
Preseason Promise, Regular Season Struggles
Despite being active for all 50 of his allowed two-way games, Juzang only saw the court in 21 of them and logged just 4.2 minutes per game with averages of 2.0 points and 0.8 rebounds on 42.1% shooting from the field and a rough 25.0% from beyond the arc.
He never cracked head coach Chris Finch's rotation on a team with serious playoff goals and a star in Anthony Edwards averaging 29.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
His season-high came on New Year's Eve against the Atlanta Hawks when he scored 10 points, but outside of that, Juzang was a DNP-CD far more often than he was an active contributor.
The writing was on the wall for Juzang once the trade deadline passed, and the Timberwolves acquired Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks.
Dosunmu was in the middle of a career year, putting up 15.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 rebounds while shooting over 51% from the field and 45.1% from three.
Finch quickly signaled that Dosunmu would be a core part of the rotation going forward, which left no real path to minutes for a player like Juzang who was already buried on the depth chart.
Why Minnesota Moved On
Under NBA rules, two-way players can only be active for 50 games before the team has to either promote them to a standard roster spot or let them go.
Since Juzang had reached that limit, the Timberwolves chose to part ways rather than convert his contract, freeing up a roster spot that could be used on the buyout market or for another two-way signing before the March 4 deadline.
Minnesota already brought back veteran point guard Mike Conley on a free-agent deal this week.
With Dosunmu sliding into a big bench role alongside the returning Conley, there simply was not enough room for Juzang on a roster that still has Rocco Zikarsky and Enrique Freeman on two-way contracts along with 14 players on standard deals.
The front office appears to be eyeing upgrades as they chase a third straight trip to the Western Conference Finals behind their All-Star Game MVP in Edwards, and the Juzang move is part of keeping their options open heading into the final stretch of the season.
What's Next
For Juzang, the hope is that another team gives him a shot at real playing time before the season ends, as his skill set as a shooter and his youth at just 24 years old still make him an interesting pickup for a team in need of wing depth.
Krawczynski noted that he impressed the Wolves with his work ethic throughout his time in Minnesota.
The Timberwolves will return from the All-Star break on Friday night when they host the Dallas Mavericks at Target Center, and all eyes will be on how Finch fits Dosunmu and Conley into the backcourt alongside Edwards, Julius Randle and the rest of the rotation for the stretch run.