Irish star CJ Fulton to play NBA Summer League basketball with Minnesota Timberwolves
Belfast's CJ Fulton's professional career has started with a bang as he has confirmed that he has signed to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves Summer League team in Las Vegas in July.
Fulton, a 6'3 point guard, developed a reputation in NCAA basketball as a classic floor general, who can run a team without turning over the ball (he was a consistent leader in the NCAA in assist to turnover ratio).
That reputation got him on the radar of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets, both of whom invited Fulton to pre-draft workouts.
Although Fulton went undrafted in this week's NBA Draft, he had clearly left a mark on the upper brass of the Minnesota Timberwolves, as their President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, outlined their desire to add Fulton to the Summer League squad, despite not taking him with their 17th or 45th pick.
Fulton announced on Instagram that he is heading to Vegas, marking the next step in a brilliant career to date.
The Timberwolves schedule starts on July 10th, with a matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans.
They will also face Phoenix, Denver and Detroit.
The Timberwolves had turnover issues around star Anthony Edwards last year, ranking in the bottom third of turnover percentage in the NBA.
With veteran Mike Conley close to retirement, they need a steady playmaker to run the team.
The 8th pick in the 2024 draft, Rob Dillingham (from Kentucky), played in just over half of the team's games last year and he is expected to take a major jump at this year's Summer League.
Whether that helps or hinders CJ's case for a spot on a roster will remain to be seen.
Realistically, though, regardless of the Wolves' own plans, this is an amazing shop window to show what CJ is capable of against top-level competition.
The eyes of the NBA, their development league (the G-League) and top European teams will all be on Vegas to see what Ireland's brightest star is capable of doing on the biggest stage.
Come the end of July, it will become much clearer where CJ's first meaningful professional contract will actually be signed.
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Irish Independent
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- Irish Independent
Ireland star CJ Fulton to play for Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA Summer League
The Belfast man may have missed out in the NBA draft on Wednesday, but he gets a chance to showcase his skills at the preseason tournament that brings together all 30 franchises for 11 days in Las Vegas. Teams typically use the annual competition as an opportunity to try out new players and youngsters who were not selected in the draft. Though the 22-year-old wasn't selected by the Timberwolves with their 17th or 45th picks, Fulton evidently made an impression on the side after being invited to their pre-draft camp earlier this month. Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly had referred to Fulton in an interview earlier this week, saying they had intended 'to get the Irish kid' for the Summer League. The point guard's place in the tournament was confirmed by a social media post from the College of Charleston, where Fulton has just completed his senior year of third-level basketball in South Carolina. The Timberwolves, who lost out in the western conference finals this past season, begin their Summer League against New Orleans Pelicans on July 10. Fulton hopes to follow in the footsteps of Pat Burke and Susan Moran who were the first Irish-born players to play at the highest level in the United States.
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