T-Wolves Gaming Selects DJ “Djay” Payton in 2022 NBA 2K League Draft

Minneapolis-St. Paul – T-Wolves Gaming, the Minnesota Timberwolves NBA 2K League affiliate team and 2019 NBA 2K League Champions, drafted DJ “Djay” Payton in the 2022 NBA 2K League Draft which was livestreamed on the NBA 2K Twitch and YouTube channels. T-Wolves Gaming selected forward DJ “Djay” Payton with the 42nd overall pick in the second round.

“Djay”, the 21-year-old from Killeen, Texas averaged 9.6 ppg, 1.1 blk, 2.2 spg, and shot 51% from beyond the arc during the 2022 NBA 2K League Combine.

“DJ is a strong forward and someone we’ve had our eye on leading up to the draft,” said T-Wolves Gaming General Manager Justin Butler. “We have a lot of talent on this team and really looking forward to the season ahead.”

T-Wolves Gaming rounds out their roster at five players with “Djay” joining retained players Michael “BearDaBeast” Key, Dhwan “ShiftyKaii” White, and Malik “Slaughter” Leisinger. T-Wolves Gaming also acquired Abdafatah “TBShiftay” Noman from Heat Check Gaming during the offseason in exchange for the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NBA 2K League Draft.

“TBShiftay” played in 28 regular season games during the 2021 NBA 2K League season for Heat Check Gaming averaging 7.1 points, shooting 65.3% from the field and 57.4% from beyond the arc. He additionally averaged 1.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest. The Detroit native was originally drafted 13th overall by Heat Check Gaming in the 2020 NBA 2K League Draft.

The 2022 draft pool consisted of 145 players. In addition to unretained players from last season, the draft pool also included top performing players who earned draft eligibility as part of the “NBA 2K League Draft Prospect Series,” Sony Scouting Grounds tournaments, the NBA 2K League’s Women in Gaming initiative, or the NBA 2K League’s APAC and European Invitationals, or by being identified by the NBA 2K League and its teams based on their play in the 2K community.

Further information regarding the 2022 NBA 2K League season, including T-Wolves Gaming 2022 schedule will be released at a later date. For more information regarding T-Wolves Gaming, fans can follow T-Wolves Gaming on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About T-Wolves Gaming

T-Wolves Gaming is the 2019 NBA 2K League Champion and one of 23 esports teams competing in the NBA 2K League founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software. The NBA 2K League affiliate of the Minnesota Timberwolves, T-Wolves Gaming draws inspiration from the Timberwolves pack mentality and aspiration for team excellence that will propel a new generation of esports fans and players. T-Wolves Gaming trains at the state-of-the-art T-Wolves Gaming Training Center at Mayo Clinic Square in downtown Minneapolis.

About the NBA 2K League

The NBA 2K League, a professional esports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO), launched in 2018 and features 24 teams and the best NBA 2K players in the world.  NBA 2K League partners include Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Champion Athleticwear, Coinbase, Dash Radio, eGG Network, Google, Loco, Mondelēz International, SAP, Snickers, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sport1, Tencent, Wilson and YouTube.  For more information about the NBA 2K League, visit NBA2KLeague.com .