Jaylen Clark one of many young Timberwolves awaiting their shot to contribute

Jaylen Clark had attended Wednesday’s news conference to introduce Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., the first-rounders attained by the Timberwolves in last week’s NBA draft.

Clark, 6-4 guard, was a second-round selection out of UCLA for the Wolves a year ago. He was available late in the second round because of a torn Achilles suffered in the 2023 Pac-12 tournament.

He was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, and Wolves basketball boss Tim Connelly decided Clark was worth stashing for a year.

Clark was headed back to what basically has been his home for a year — the Wolves practice facility across the skyway from Target Center — on Wednesday. He was in a conversation about the mostly “yet-to-be seen by Wolves fans” young talent that Connelly has assembled.

Dillingham and Shannon Jr. now become the featured attractions.

Two second-rounders — lightly-used 6-8 Josh Minott (2022 draft) and 6-10 Leonard Miller (2023, acquired from San Antonio) — should be ready for playing time next season. Clark has been working out full tilt and could make it three second-rounders getting minutes. The Wolves do like their defense, you know.

Guarding people relentlessly was the No. 1 reason Nickeil Alexander-Walker originally got his chance to become a vital contributor.

“Lots of young guys who might earn some minutes,” was a comment to Clark.

He agreed, and then added another: “Don’t forget Dashien Nix as a guard. He only had a few minutes last season, but Dashien’s a player. I’ve seen it every day.

“And you know who else we just signed to a two-way contract? Edwards, that big center from West Virginia. He could be interesting, too.”

Jesse Edwards, 6-11 and from the Netherlands, is the probable center the Iowa Wolves will need now that Luka Garza has been upgraded to a two-year, one-way contract with the Wolves.

Bottom line: The Wolves in Summer League should be worth watching way more than usual this month.