Since joining the rotation in January, Clark has carved out a role with the team as a defensive specialist.

When Jaylen Clark played his first significant minutes in the Timberwolves rotation Jan. 29 against the Suns, he initially thought coach Chris Finch had called for another player — Jaden McDaniels.

Clark wasn’t used to hearing his first name come out of Finch’s mouth, and in a loud arena you could forgive him for thinking Finch was asking McDaniels to re-enter the game.

But since that night, Clark has been a mainstay in the Wolves rotation thanks to his defensive tenacity. Because of that, the Wolves rewarded Clark, who was on a two-way contract, with a fully guaranteed NBA minimum contract for the rest of this season and next season, a source confirmed. Clark’s promotion to the main roster now means he will be eligible for postseason play.

“I love being in Minnesota, I’m excited,” Clark said. “It feels like I’m officially a part of everything. I can play in the playoffs. It’s been cool. The journey has been long, but it’s been well worthwhile.”

With the open two-way slot, the Wolves are signing guard Bones Hyland, who has played four seasons with the Nuggets and Clippers.

Clark’s contract represents a deserved reward for the way he has helped the Wolves navigate a tricky stretch in this season when injuries have caused Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards to miss games.

The Wolves drafted Clark 53rd overall out of UCLA in 2023 a few months after he tore his Achilles tendon late that season. He spent all of last season rehabilitating the injury, a frustrating process that contained a few setbacks.

“It doesn’t really feel like you’re going anywhere until the weeks, months and a year goes by,” Clark said. “Then you’re like, now I’m just back at the base level. I have to start running, lifting. It’s a long process, man. I don’t wish that on nobody.”

The Wolves’ Jaylen Clark, drafted out of UCLA in 2023, has emerged as a defensive standout, and now he has an NBA contract. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Now he has emerged on the other end with an NBA contract. Clark said he never doubted he would get to this point and he saw a silver lining in the Wolves drafting him late. If the injury hadn’t led to that, he might’ve ended up on a team that was a worse fit for him.

“I’m not here, more than likely,” Clark said. “So I’d be stuck in another situation, and I feel like this is really ideal for me. I wasn’t one of those kids where I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is so bad.’ I was sitting there looking up people’s averages after they tore their Achilles.”

Players like Dominique Wilkins, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, though he’s unlike them. Clark made his way into the NBA thanks primarily to his defense. The Wolves played the Thunder in three of their past four games, and in each game Clark handled the responsibility of guarding potential MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Wolves won two of those games. In the other, on Sunday, Clark was a plus-20 before he had to leave the game because of a neck injury. He was able to return to the lineup Monday in Oklahoma City.

“It starts with him being a high-character, mature individual,” Finch said of Clark’s contributions. “What he’s had to endure to come back from injury. It was a long road, a few setbacks along the way, but you can never tell by his approach. His attitude was always great.”

Hyland, 24, now reunites with the person who drafted him, Wolves President Tim Connelly.

When Connelly was in Denver, he drafted Hyland 26th overall in the 2021 draft. He has averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He has shot 40% for his career overall, 36% from three-point range. The Nuggets dealt him in 2023 to the Clippers, where he spent parts of the past three seasons. Hyland averaged 7.2 points in 20 games this season before the Clippers dealt him to Atlanta at the trade deadline. The Hawks then waived him.