T'Wolves Sign Duke's Avery

William Avery, the Minnesota Timberwolves' first-round pick, signed a three-year contract with the team Thursday.

The Wolves selected Avery, a 6-2 guard from Duke, with the 14th pick in the June draft. Avery is expected to provide depth to a team that ranked near the bottom of the NBA in three-point shooting.

"We were very excited to draft William and now look for him to be a solid contributor for us," said Kevin McHale, Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations. "We feel William will help us upgrade our outside shooting."

Avery, who left Duke after two seasons, was an honorable mention to the All-America team last season, averaging 14.9 points and 5.0 assists per game. He hit a school-record eight three-pointers Dec. 9 vs. Florida.

A native of Augusta, Ga., Avery helped Duke to the NCAA championship game last season.

The Timberwolves other first-round pick, Miami of Ohio's Wally Szczerbiak, signed a three-year deal worth $6.5 million earlier this month.