The Minnesota Timberwolves and Amile Jefferson have agreed to a two-way deal, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
Sources: The Minnesota Timberwolves are signing forward Amile Jefferson from G League affiliate Iowa to a two-way NBA contract. He'll also be a free agent this summer.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 15, 2018
Amile Jefferson has been playing for the Timberwolves' G League affiliate Iowa Wolves. He's been averaging 18 points, 13 rebounds, and two assists in 32 minutes. He's also shooting 63.2 percent from the field.
Jefferson's strong play with the Wolves has convinced the Timberwolves to give him a two-way deal. And it's not like Jefferson is not familiar with the Timberwolves organization. Jefferson has spent time with the team, only to be waived during the last rounds of player cuts.
Amile Jefferson also had a fruitful collegiate career as a player for the Duke Blue Devils, playing in Durham from 2012 to 2017. In his best season, he averaged 10.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks.
But when all is said and done, how does Jefferson's signing affect the Timberwolves?
Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau is known for giving his players big minutes and having a short rotation of players on the roster. The Timberwolves' starters are among the leaders in the league in minutes played, and that can be a negative thing in the long run.
The team is running for playoff contention, and if it is not careful, they may wear out Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Jimmy Butler too much to make them effective.
There is really a need to have good rotation players on the roster, even for the sole purpose of giving the Timberwolves' main guys a rest. That's where Jefferson may come in handy.
But despite this, let's remember the fact that Anthony Brown, another player under a two-way contract with the Timberwolves, is only seeing the floor for 14.5 minutes per game.
Only time will tell if the Jefferson signing will have an impact on the Timberwolves.
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