Hagans Signs Two-Way Contract with Minnesota Timberwolves
MINNEAPOLIS – Former Kentucky men’s basketball point guard Ashton Hagans’ deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves became official Saturday.
Hagans, one of the best on-ball defenders in school history, has signed a two-way contract. Per Minnesota team policy, the terms of the agreement were not released.
Hagans was one of five underclassmen from the 2019-20 team to declare for the NBA Draft. Three of them – Tyrese Maxey (No. 21 overall to Philadelphia), Immanuel Quickley (No. 27 to New York via a trade with Oklahoma City) and Nick Richards (No. 42 to Charlotte after a trade with New Orleans) – were drafted earlier this month. Two other Wildcats, EJ Montgomery and Nate Sestina, have also reportedly signed free-agent deals, but the league has not officially confirmed the signings.
With a two-way contract, Hagans will get a great opportunity to establish a role with the Timberwolves. NBA teams may have up to two players – 17 total players on a roster – under NBA two-way contracts who will spend the bulk of the season in the NBA G League and not more than 45 days with their NBA team. Two-way players are paid a corresponding daily amount based on the number of days they play in each league. Only players in their fourth NBA season or earlier can sign two-way contracts, which can be for either one or two seasons.
Hagans enjoyed a memorable two-year career at UK that saw him evolve from a defensive menace to one of the best point guards in the country.
The 6-foot-3 Georgia native was the consummate point guard in his sophomore season, doing a little bit of everything to affect the game. He averaged 11.5 points, 6.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game while grabbing the leadership reins of a talented but young team that won the Southeastern Conference regular-season title.
Hagans played in 67 career games for Kentucky with 59 starts. After starting off his career as a reserve, he broke through with an unforgettable defensive performance vs. North Carolina in December 2018. Hagans tied the single-game school record with eight steals while shutting down eventual NBA Draft first-round pick Coby White in the victory.
That performance sparked Hagans’ confidence offensively as well, as he would go on to score in double figures in 13 of the final 26 games to end his freshman campaign.
Hagans continued his evolution last season, boasting double-figure scoring in 20 games in 2019-20, including a career-high 26-point performance in the win over Utah Valley. He dished out three or more assists in every game he played last season and recorded five or more in 22 outings, including a career-high-tying 12 vs. UAB. His streak of 10 games with six or more assists midway through the season was the best run by a Wildcat since Roger Harden dished six or more in 12 straight in 1986.
With 351 career dimes, Hagans ranks 12th in program history in assists. His 5.24 career assist average ranks fourth in the school record book. Hagans’ assist average last season ranked 16th in the country and tops in the league.
Hagans was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 and was once again UK’s best on-ball defender last season with a team-high 58 steals. He made the SEC All-Defensive Team again in 2020 and was one of four finalists for the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year.
With 119 swipes in 67 career games, Hagans averaged 1.776 steals per game for his career. That rate is third all-time in program history, trailing only Rajon Rondo and Derek Anderson.
Hagans will join the nearly 60 former players John Calipari has helped play in the NBA, two of whom are also on the Timberwolves: 2015 No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns and 2017 NBA Draft pick Jarred Vanderbilt.
In 11 seasons with Calipari at the helm, Kentucky has churned out three No. 1 selections, 31 first-rounders, 21 lottery picks and 41 total players in the NBA Draft. The 41 draft picks are 14 more than the next closest school (Duke). With two first-round picks, UK has more first-round selections (41) than any other school in the NBA lottery era (since 1985).
In 28 seasons as a head coach, Calipari has coached 52 NBA Draft picks, including 37 first-round selections and four No. 1 overall picks.
Calipari’s players have entered the league NBA-ready. His players have garnered 23 All-Star selections, with Anthony Davis winning the game’s MVP honor in 2017. Derrick Rose was named MVP in 2011. Five of his players have been tabbed All-NBA (Rose, Davis, Towns, John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins), three have been named NBA Rookie of the Year (Rose, Towns and Tyreke Evans), and 14 players from Calipari’s first 10 teams at Kentucky made the NBA All-Rookie teams. UK has produced more All-NBA players, more NBA All-Rookie and more NBA All-Defensive players than any other school in the Calipari era.
Kentucky players were the story of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Davis and Rajon Rondo (pre-Calipari) won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro enjoyed breakout seasons while leading the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals, and Jamal Murray set all sorts of franchise scoring records to reach the Western Conference semifinals.
Over the last week and a half, Adebayo and De’Aaron Fox have signed max contracts in their second deal in the league.
The current Wildcats host Richmond on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Rupp Arena in the Bluegrass Showcase. The game will be televised by ESPN. UK won its opener on Wednesday, routing Morehead State 81-45.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
LET’S DO IT! FAMILY! https://t.co/Q0UEmexKld
— ashton hagans (@H23Ash) November 28, 2020
