Zyon Pullin has spent the last year doing exactly what an undrafted guard has to do to stay in the NBA conversation: keep producing, keep improving, and keep forcing teams to notice. Now the Timberwolves want to see whether that work carries over to Las Vegas.
Pullin, 25, signed a two-way contract with Minnesota on March 1 after spending much of the season starting for the Iowa Wolves in the G League. He’s back on a two-way deal for next season, but those spots are never guaranteed.
Teams can shuffle those three slots before the season and even during it, which means Pullin still has work to do to lock down his place. That uncertainty only grows with second-round pick Trey Kaufman-Renn in the mix.
That’s what makes this summer league stretch so important. It’s Pullin’s first with the Timberwolves, and it gives him a chance to show he can stay on an NBA contract for a full season for the first time. When Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage asked him what he hopes to get out of the event, Pullin kept the answer simple:
“Just keep learning, keep growing.” Pullin said.
“Sharpen up on things, stuff like that. I think I’ve had good player development down here, and I think just clean everything up…keep sharpening up the stuff offensively and defensively.”
For Pullin, the path forward is pretty clear: show more growth, and the opportunities can follow.
He already gave Minnesota a brief look after joining on the two-way deal, appearing in five NBA games. His biggest night came in the regular season finale, when the Timberwolves rested a number of key players. Pullin logged 31 minutes and put up 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting, along with three rebounds and five assists.
His G League résumé was even stronger. Last season with Iowa, Pullin was one of the league’s most productive players and earned player of the month honors for November. He also came close to a remarkable assist-to-turnover ratio, finishing with 137 assists and 48 turnovers.
Before that, Pullin had another brief NBA stop. In 2024-25, he signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies in January, made three regular-season appearances of about a minute each, and played in two summer league games for them last year.
The skill that could really change his outlook is the shot. Pullin knocked down 39 of 73 3-point attempts for Iowa last season, good for 53.4 percent, and he hit 44.9 percent from deep in his final college season at Florida.
A strong run in summer league could be the first step toward Pullin landing his first standard NBA contract, whether that ends up being with Minnesota or another team. At the very least, it could help him hold onto his two-way spot. Minnesota opens summer league Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
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