The Minnesota Timberwolves have spent the offseason sending a pretty clear message about Joan Beringer.
By moving Naz Reid and Julius Randle and bringing in LaMelo Ball, Minnesota reshaped the roster in a way that came at the expense of the size it has leaned on in recent years. That leaves the frontcourt thinner behind Rudy Gobert, but it also points to something else: the Wolves would not have made that kind of overhaul if they didn’t believe Beringer was ready to matter.
That belief helps explain why the 17th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is suddenly in position to play a real role. Beringer spent almost all of last season as a 19-year-old buried behind Gobert, Reid, and Randle. The 6-foot-11 center logged only 314 total regular-season minutes, which ranked 54th among rookies in 2025-26 and even trailed a few undrafted players.
The depth chart looks very different now. The starting power forward spot has not been settled, and the top frontcourt option off the bench is Beringer - unless Trey Lyles ends up moving ahead of him after a year overseas.
For all the limited run he got as a rookie, Beringer gave Minnesota enough to see the upside. He will turn 20 on November 11, and his game fits the role the Wolves appear ready to hand him.
He is more of a rim protector than the two frontcourt players who left, and he doesn’t look overly bothered when he gets pulled out to the perimeter. There’s energy in his game, too, along with the kind of rim-running ability that should put him in position for easy lobs each night.
He’s still very much a work in progress. Beringer has a tendency to foul and still needs to learn that he does not have to leave his feet on every shot in an effort to block it. Like Gobert, he is not likely to do much scoring outside the paint.
Even so, he has done enough for Chris Finch to trust him with a meaningful workload next season. Gobert averaged 31.3 minutes per game in 2025-26, and at 34, there’s no reason to expect that number to climb much, if at all.
So when Gobert needs a break, Beringer should be the one stepping in, keeping a rim protector on the floor for Minnesota at all times.
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From Minnesotas perspective, the matchup is appealing because the Lakers are still viewed as thin on strong on-ball defenders, which could leave them chasing Minnesotas guards and wings possession after possession. With Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels setting the tone on the perimeter, the Timberwolves would seem to have the pieces to pressure a revamped Lakers roster in ways that could matter most when the games slow down and every matchup gets magnified. [Read more 🡒]
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Edwards has shown he can help on the glass when the game turns physical and he is locked in at both ends. The bigger question is whether Minnesota can get that version of him more consistently now that the roster has shifted and the offensive burden may not rest on his shoulders quite as heavily. If he uses that extra breathing room to stay engaged defensively, the rebounding piece could become a real separator for both him and the Wolves. [Read more 🡒]