CJ Fulton signs contract with NBA side Minnesota Timberwolves

Irish international CJ Fulton has signed a contract with Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA, following an impressive spell in training camp and during NBA Summer League in the last number of months. It makes Fulton the first player developed in Ireland to reach such a level. 

The 23 year-old has signed Exhibit 10 terms with the T-Wolves, which will see him begin life in the NBA G League with Minnesota's affiliate Iowa Wolves in Des Moines.  He spent his final year of collegiate eligibilty at the University of Charleston, averaging 7.8 points, 6.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 33.5 minutes-per -game across 32 appearances during the 2024/25 NCAA season.

What does 'Exhibit 10' Mean? 

Exhibit 10 was introduced to the NBA in the 2017 collective bargaining agreement. 

It is a one-year, league minimum deal that essentially makes it easier for teams to retain developmental players for a longer period of time and gives the players a bigger chance to show their skills and earn a place on the main roster. Every time is allowed six Exhibit 10 contracts. 

An Exhibit 10 contract can be upgraded into a two-way contract (meaning a player can play both with the NBA team and in the G League). Each team can have a maximum of three two-way contracts at any one time. 

What it means for CJ Fulton? 

It means Irish basketball fans will likely need to become very familiar with the Iowa Wolves schedule over the coming months. 

Timberwolves assistant coach Kevin Hanson was in charge of their NBA Summer League programme this year and directed praise towards CJ's abilities as a true point guard on more than one occassion, describing his ability to run the offense as "awesome" following their final game against the Houston Rockets. The former Belfast Star product played 17 minutes in that contest. 

Reaching this point is another huge step on the road to making an NBA roster. What usually happens for players on an Exhibit 10 contract is they will find their way onto the NBA team's affiliate side and battle for the opportunity of being elevated to a two-way contract at some point during the season. 

The G League 36 game regular season begins on December 19th, with a tip-off tournament taking place from Friday, November 7th. 

This is likely the first time we will get a chance to see CJ on the court.