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Timberwolves Sign Iowa Wolves G League Standout to Two-Way Contract

Jules Bernard, who has previous NBA experience, has been lighting it up for Iowa.
Will Ragatz|
Mar 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jules Bernard (14) warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.
Mar 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jules Bernard (14) warms up before the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves have signed G League star Jules Bernard to a two-way contract, they announced on Wednesday. He takes the spot previously filled by Johnny Juzang, who the Wolves opted to release after he had reached the maximum number of active NBA games allowed on a two-way deal.

Bernard has been lighting it up for the Iowa Wolves this season. Through 36 games, he's averaged 22.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.1 steals. He's shot 43 percent from the field and 35 percent from three. The 6'6" left-handed guard has put up some massive stat lines, including a triple double with 30 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists, and 8 made threes earlier this month. One game later, he had 34 points, 11 boards, and 8 assists.

Bernard, 26, is a Los Angeles native who played four seasons of college basketball at UCLA. He was teammates for a couple seasons with Juzang, Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark, and Heat standout Jaime Jaquez Jr. Those Bruins made the Final Four in 2021.

After going undrafted in 2022, Bernard began his journey on the fringe of the NBA. He was with the Pistons' G League affiliate, then joined the Wizards' organization. In his second season (2023-24), he landed a two-way deal with Washington and appeared in 19 NBA games, where he averaged 3.9 points and hit 11 of 29 threes (38 percent).

Bernard was then with the Cavaliers' G League team last year before joining Iowa this year. He's played in Summer Leagues and NBA preseason games and well over 100 career G League contests with four different teams.

Bernard joins Enrique Freeman and Rocco Zikarsky as the Wolves' current two-way players. He can continue to play for Iowa, but the Timberwolves now also have the option to recall him and make him active for their games. Minnesota still has one standard NBA roster spot that it could choose to fill, with 14 of a possible 15 players currently under contract.

It's unlikely that Bernard will play more than a garbage time role for the Timberwolves when active, but this is still a nice reward for a player who has been dominant in the G League this season. A two-way deal comes with a significant pay bump from a typical G League contract.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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