Former UCLA star guard Jaylen Clark recently concluded his first full NBA season as he and the Minnesota Timberwolves were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. For Clark, this was a building block season, earning major progress.
Clark had to build from the ground up this season, emerging as a mainstay piece to the Timberwolves’ bench throughout the season and into the playoffs. It was his first taste of playoff action this year, finishing the season averaging 4.1 points on 46.7% shooting with 1.3 rebounds per contest.
Clark began his NBA career when he was drafted 53rd overall (second round) by Minnesota in the 2023 NBA Draft. He began his career with the Iowa Wolves, the organization’s G League development affiliate. He was on a two-way contract, allowing him to be moved from the NBA and G League rosters.
In March of this year, the Riverside, Calif. native broke away from his two-way deal, converting Clark to a full-time contract with the big league club. He then went on to feature in 40 games this season with four starts as a rookie. The future is bright for Clark after his debut season in the league.
The conversion to a full-time contract details a two-year deal, meaning that Clark is set for a second season in Minnesota in 2025-26. After averaging 13.1 minutes per game, Clark’s production, playing time, and comfortability in the league should all rise heading into the second year of his two-year deal.
Clark had five double-digit scoring games this season, with a breakout performance of 17 points and four made three-pointers against Houston in early February. That month was the best of Clark’s rookie season, averaging 6.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game.
The Timberwolves came up just short of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, falling to a buzzsaw team in Oklahoma City. Clark and Minnesota will certainly be back next season to try and right the ship. The former Bruin should be a more involved piece next year as well.
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