Former Timberwolves forward qualifies for the Paris Olympics

Chase Budinger is a professional beach volleyball player.

Aug 16, 2019; Manhattan Beach, CA, USA; Chase Budinger serves in a match against Angel Dache and Brian Tillman during the AVP Manhattan Beach Open at Manhattan Beach Pier. Bundinger and his partner Casey Patterson went on to a 2-0 win to advance. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports | Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Former Timberwolves forward Chase Budinger has clinched a U.S. Olympic beach volleyball roster spot and he will represent Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer.

Former Arizona basketball star Chase Budinger just secured one of the final spots on the U.S. Olympic beach volleyball roster! 🇺🇸🏐

Budinger and teammate Miles Evans are going to Paris this summer!

(🎥 Tape Media/IG) pic.twitter.com/rS7Spvc4OK

— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) June 5, 2024

Budinger played for Minnesota for three seasons from 2012 to 2015. It wasn't the best stretch of Wolves basketball, but he was an exciting player off the bench. You could quickly see his next-level athleticism that would translate to volleyball.

He started 13 games across three years and averaged 9.4 points per game in the 2012-13 season. He was an early "3-and-D" player, shooting 35.2% from beyond the arc through his career and providing versatile defense thanks to his athleticism.

Now 36 years old, he began his beach volleyball career in 2018 after playing seven total seasons in the NBA. He was a star volleyball player in high school, earning Volleyball Magazine National Player of the Year for the indoor game. He made his debut on the AVP tour with Sean Rosenthal, and now he and teammate Miles Evans are going to the Paris Olympics.

“I decided to see how far basketball could take me,” Budinger, who played recreational beach volleyball with Richard Jefferson, Kevin Love and Luke Walton during his basketball career, said in 2018. “But in the back of my mind, I knew I could always go back to volleyball after I was done with basketball.”

The top two ranked U.S. teams on the international circuit qualify for the Olympics. Budinger and Evans officially clinched their spot when another team lost their match on Wednesday.

The 2024 Olympics begin on July 26.