The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed 2009 first-round draft picks Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington. Flynn, a 6-0 guard from Syracuse, was the sixth overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft. Ellington, a 6-5 guard from North Carolina, was the 28th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Per team policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
All NBA first round draft picks are guaranteed a contract should they decide to come right to the league, so this is standard.
In two seasons at Syracuse University, Flynn averaged 16.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists, including 17.4 points and 6.7 assists per game during his sophomore campaign. Despite playing just two seasons for the Orange, Flynn ranked seventh in career assists. He started all 73 games of his Syracuse career, scoring in double figures in 64 contests. He set a school single-season record for minutes played with 1,418 this past season. Flynn was named to the All-Big East Second Team this past season, and was an AP All-America Honorable Mention. He was the Big-East co-Rookie of the Year in 2007-08.
In his three seasons at UNC, Ellington averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 115 games. He led the Tar Heels with 85 three-pointers in 2008-09, the fifth-best single-season total in school history. Ellington ranked third in the ACC in three-point percentage (.417) this past season. Ellington was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2009 Final Four as he helped lead UNC to the national title.
Both Flynn and Ellington are playing on the Wolves 2009 NBA Summer League Team, which takes to the court for the first time on Sunday, July 12 at 5 p.m. (CDT).
