Tag: jaylen clark

Jaylen Clark showing out for Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA Summer League

Jaylen Clark sighting.

Jaylen Clark, the 22-year-old who played college basketball at UCLA has been showing out for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Summer League. Teamed up with Terrence Shannon Jr and Rob Dillingham, who Minnesota picked up in the draft, Minnesota has been a fun team to follow.

Clark came off the bench in the first summer league game against New Orleans and played 17 minutes. He picked up three steals and three rebounds in that game. In game two, against Indiana, Clark played 19:00 and was 4 for 5 from the field, including a three-point made. He scored 9 points and had a game-high 6 steals. He was second on the team with a +15-point differential.

The 22-year-old guard spent his college days from 2020-2023 at UCLA. He was a second-round pick in the 2023 draft, which was 53rd overall. Clark was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 in college.

Here is a clip of Jaylen Clark’s defensive performance in a game last week:

Clark will continue looking to make a roster spot for Minnesota, who reached the Western Conference Finals a season ago, only to fall to Dallas.

Former UCLA Bruins basketball star Jaylen Clark returns to activities

He’s back!

Former UCLA Basketball star Jaylen Clark has been cleared to return to basketball activities.

Clark played for the Bruins in 2022-2023 and scored 13 points per game. He also averaged 6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as well. His final season with the Bruins was cut short due to an Achilles injury.

Despite his injury, he was drafted 53rd overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was part of the team that went to the Western Conference Finals in 2024. The Timberwolves are excited to have Clark as part of their rotation for the 2024-2025 season.

The news was announced on Sunday by Minnesota Timberwolves writer Jack Borman via his Twitter account:

Minnesota will start its summer league schedule in Las Vegas on Friday. They take on the New Orleans Pelicans at 2 pm at the Thomas & Mack Center. They will also play July 14th, 16th and 18th.

Clark is one of 16 players on the summer league roster for Minnesota.

Timberwolves’ Jaylen Clark cleared from Achilles injury to play in summer league

Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark has been cleared to play in summer league after missing all of last season due to injury.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark has been cleared to play in the NBA Summer League after missing all of last season while rehabbing a left Achilles tendon rupture.

Clark sustained the injury in March 2023 while playing at UCLA and underwent surgery two days later. He was ruled out of participating in team workouts during the predraft process but was still selected by the Timberwolves with the 53rd pick in the NBA draft.

He was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 13 points, six rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.9 assists in the 2022-23 season as a junior. He finished sixth in the country in steals per game and second in defensive box plus-minus (plus-6.7).

Despite the injury, Clark signed a two-way contract last July. He spent the entire year recovering from the injury and was seen throughout the season doing on-court work. He has now been given the green light to play, clearing the way for him to suit up in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 22-year-old will be joined in summer league by 2024 draft picks Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., along with roster players Leonard Miller, Josh Minott and Daishen Nix, among others. Assistant Chris Hines will coach the team.

The Timberwolves will play at least five games, beginning with the New Orleans Pelicans on July 12 at the Thomas & Mack Center (5 p.m. EDT, ESPN2).

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Jon Rothstein sees Jaylen Clark similarities in Kobe Johnson

Jaylen and Kobe Johnson similarities?

One of the first transfer portal additions of the offseason for the UCLA Bruins was former USC player Kobe Johnson.

He came to UCLA just after Skyy Clark transferred, and the addition of Johnson and Clark were big ones.

What Johnson brings to the table should be a big boost for UCLA next season, especially poaching him from the crosstown rivals.

College basketball insider Jon Rothstein mentioned how he sees some similarities between Kobe Johnson and Jaylen Clark:

The 6-6 Johnson (10.9 points, 4.6 rebounds) meanwhile, should instantly resemble former UCLA star Jaylen Clark, who was the National Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 before suffering a torn achilles tendon prior to the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament.

If Johnson can be anywhere near as valuable as Jaylen Clark was, that would be a massive addition to Mick Cronin’s team. There is also reason to believe that Johnson could start for the Bruins, so this could be one of the biggest additions of the offseason.

UCLA basketball returns one key player for next season, but not two

Adem Bona is staying. Jaylen Clark is not. #UCLA’s roster gets a boost but not a best-case scenario.

The UCLA Bruins received mixed news on Wednesday, the final day for NBA draft prospects to either stay in the draft or choose to return to school (and/or the transfer portal).

Big man Adem Bona will come back to UCLA for next season, giving the Bruins an active, smart, hungry rim protector and defensive force. Jaylen Clark, who could defend multiple positions on the floor and helped Bona make UCLA a very strong defensive team, is staying in the NBA draft. The Bruins got some of what they wanted, but not all.

It’s not great news for USC — Bona will be a beast for Vince Iwuchukwu and Joshua Morgan to deal with — but it’s not terrible news with Clark departing. If it’s not a best-case situation for UCLA, it’s not a worst-case situation for USC.

UCLA not getting both Clark and Bona to return probably keeps the Bruins third in the Pac-12 behind USC and Arizona.

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Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Jaylen Clark declares for NBA draft

Clark was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 13 points, six rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.9 assists in 30 games.

UCLA guard Jaylen Clark announced Wednesday on social media that he has declared for the 2023 NBA draft after a productive year in which the junior pick up several season awards.

He did not specify if he’ll hire an agent or retain his college eligibility.

Clark was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 13 points, six rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.9 assists in 30 games. He finished sixth in the country in steals per game, second in defensive box plus-minus (plus-6.7) and 12th in defensive win shares (2.7).

He was also named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team.

The draft announcement comes nearly one month after Clark suffered a season-ending leg injury on March 4. He said there is no timetable for his return to the court after undergoing surgery two days after suffering the injury.

Clark is projected to be a second-round pick in the draft given his ability on defense. Prospects have the opportunity to improve their draft stock in various workouts and scouting events, though it is unclear when Clark can be cleared to resume on-court activities.

He has until May 31 to withdraw from the draft and return to school.

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New pre-deadline 2023 mock has Boston Celtics drafting two forwards and a guard

Draft expert Jonathan Wasserman has put together a mock for the 2023 NBA draft that reflects the changes in the standings just ahead of the trade deadline.

NBA analysts and fans alike are fixated on the soon-to-come 2023 NBA trade deadline, as they ought to be even in the case of the Boston Celtics, who have as good of a case as any team to stand pat on Feb. 9 given their play so far this season has put them in pole position to win it all.

But draft experts are grinding away in their efforts to project what all 30 teams in the league will do with their respective draft assets, and the Celtics are no exception. To such an end, Bleacher Report draft expert Jonathan Wasserman has put together a mock for the 2023 NBA draft that reflects the changes in the standings just ahead of the trade deadline.

Let’s take a look at who he sees in green and white this summer via the trio of second round picks Boston has at their disposal in this draft.

New Bleacher Report mock sees Boston Celtics go for wing, two big men in 2023 draft

B/R has three prospects in mind for Boston’s trio of second-round picks.

At this moment in the league calendar, most fans of the Boston Celtics and the 29 other NBA teams are focused on what their favorite ball club is planning to do (or not do) by the 2023 trade deadline on Feb. 9.

But some intrepid souls have already focused on the 2023 NBA draft, which seems like a basketball eternity away. But it will arrive in the blink of an eye, and teams need to be ready. A recently updated 2023 mock draft from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman provides the latest data set for us to mull over regarding its projections for our favorite teams.

For the Celtics, Wasserman has three prospects in mind for their trio of second-round picks.