The Timberwolves don’t have the luxury of keeping a steady stream of draft picks flowing in, but Joan Beringer gives them something almost as valuable: a young big who can grow into real minutes while the rest of the roster keeps pushing for wins now.
Minnesota entered the offseason already short on draft capital, then thinned the cupboard even more by trading for LaMelo Ball. Between now and 2033, the Wolves only control the least favorable of two pick swaps - one in 2028 and one in 2030 - plus their own first-rounder in 2032. In an era where the second apron makes cheap, productive rookie deals matter even more, that’s a real limitation.
That’s where Beringer comes in.
The second-year center is the kind of developmental piece that can soften the blow of not bringing in a fresh rookie class every year. Minnesota’s core is built around players 26 and under, and Beringer fits that timeline. More importantly, he’s slated to be Rudy Gobert’s primary backup this season, which gives him a clear lane to help right away.
Beringer won’t turn 20 until November, and his profile is impossible to miss. At 6-foot-11, he moves like a much smaller player, and his athleticism shows up everywhere: switching defensively, protecting the rim, running the floor, finishing lobs, and working on the glass. Those traits give him a path to meaningful minutes this year, even before the finer points of his game catch up.
There’s still plenty to polish. Beringer only started playing basketball in 2021, so the learning curve is steep and the room for growth is huge.
But the upside is obvious. He already has some comfort attacking the rim with the ball in his hands, and if that becomes a consistent part of his game, his ceiling rises fast.
Better positioning, more physicality, and tighter discipline on defense would only sharpen what he already does well.
The expectation is that he can handle about 15 minutes a night and keep building from there. If that happens, Minnesota may eventually have a high-end starting center on its hands. With his athletic gifts, the long-term ceiling is bigger than just a useful backup or rotation piece.
And that matters because Gobert is 34. At some point, age will pull him out of Minnesota’s core, and Beringer is the obvious candidate to step into that lane. That kind of internal replacement is exactly what draft capital is supposed to provide for a contending team, and while the Wolves won’t be adding prospects at a normal clip, Beringer could help make that problem less painful.
If his development goes the way Minnesota hopes, Beringer won’t just be an intriguing young player. He’ll be part of the team’s 26-and-under foundation alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, and Ayo Dosunmu. That would give the Timberwolves a young center to grow with their core while still helping them chase wins in the present.
The pick situation may be thin, but Beringer gives the Wolves a chance to protect both timelines at once.
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