The Minnesota Timberwolves signed Nathan Knight to a two-way deal this offseason, and he’ll likely make an impact in year one with the team.

Over the last three seasons, Karl-Anthony Towns has missed 74 games, and Minnesota has struggled to find a reliable backup center in his absence. Naz Reid is a good player, but he’s a bit undersized to be relied upon as a center.

That’s where Knight comes into play; at 6-foot-10 and 253 pounds, he should be able to come in and consume that role with success.

The former undrafted center out of William & Mary played one season with the Atlanta Hawks and averaged 3.8 points and 2.2 rebounds. Nothing about that jumps off the table, but he only played in 33 games and averaged 8.5 minutes per contest.

There were some bright spots for him last season, including a two-game stretch in March in which he scored 16 and 15 points. In those games, he also shot 60.0 percent and 66.7 percent.

Here’s one example of the type of energy and excitement he brings to the table.

When Knight logs minutes for the Timberwolves this season, you’ll see a high-energy player who works out of the pick and roll. He’s also an efficient shooter and knows where his hot zones are on the floor.

Last season he shot 54.5 percent at the rim and 42.9 percent from 3-to-10 feet. However, he shot 17.1 percent from 3 on 35 attempts – an area you’d to see fewer shots from.

When he played for the Timberwolves Summer League team, he averaged 2.8 attempts from 3 and made 8.3 percent of them. If he continues that trajectory, he’ll be getting benched.

From what we saw in the Summer League, Knight should impact the Wolves this season. As mentioned before, he does a lot of his damage in the pick and roll, and showcased plays like these in Las Vegas.

Knight can play a maximum of 50 games with the Timberwolves this season, and if Minnesota were to make the playoffs, he would not be eligible unless his contract is converted over. There should be plenty of time for Knight this season to prove to the organization that he deserves more playing time and a potential roster spot.

He hasn’t had a ton of time to show out during the preseason, but he’s shown some flashes. However, if his Summer League performance was any indication, Minnesota found themselves a two-way contract steal.