While they have done more heavy lifting when it comes to new contracts for existing talent (both Naz Reid and Julius Randle got paid), they still must find a point guard to pair with Mike Conley. That didn’t happen during the NBA Draft, but they grabbed a pair of big (seriously, big) men.

With the 17th overall pick, Joan Beringer joined the Minnesota Timberwolves. He flashed during the Summer League, and is already being billed as a steal.

Joan Beringer drawing rave reviews early for MN Timberwolves

The 6’11” center from France heads to Minnesota at just 18 years old. Beringer showed how much of an impact he can make in the paint during Summer League action in Las Vegas. It’s hard not to envision him as Rudy Gobert’s eventual replacement. He earned high praise as one of the biggest draft steals in a recent piece from ESPN Draft Analyst Jeremy Woo.

“There was also excitement around Beringer, another defensive-oriented prospect who played well in Las Vegas. The 18-year-old French center has been playing basketball competitively for only four years, but he has demonstrated strong instincts as a shot blocker and lob catcher and played his way into the first round of the draft after entering last season as a lesser-known talent. Beringer drew late lottery interest but ended up falling to the Timberwolves after three centers — Derik Queen, Thomas Sorber and Yang — were selected in the four picks preceding him at No. 17. He’ll be an understudy to countryman and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert next season.”

Jeremy Woo – ESPN

Carter Bryant, taken by the San Antonio Spurs at 14th overall, earned one more vote (5) than Beringer (4). However, that is splitting hairs and the 20 anonymous scouts and executives polled certainly love the Timberwolves young talent.

To say that Beringer is a raw product would be putting it lightly. He’s still learning the game and has plenty of time to add muscle and acclimate at the next level. Gobert being on his team is a coup, and it’s certainly part of the equation that the Minnesota Timberwolves considered.

Joan Beringer relentless transition defense + perimeter defense + defensive rebound + outlet pass pic.twitter.com/8w5mVYQ078

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) July 15, 2025

I wouldn’t expect Chris Finch to quickly integrate Beringer into the rotation next season. He hasn’t done that for more polished rookies, and there’s no reason to rush the Frenchman. That said, opposing general managers look into the future and see something impressive as well.

“[Beringer] could turn out to be a top-five player in this draft. Upside is through the roof, and he doesn’t even know how to play yet. He is also in a perfect situation where he can learn and grow from all of their bigs.”

Anonymous Eastern Conference GM – ESPN

That absolutely hits the nail on the head. Beringer brings raw talent with physical attributes that are off the charts. He doesn’t need to immediately impact the game, and he has a perfect compliment of talent to learn from.

Related: MN Timberwolves Involved in Historically Large Trade

Not every pick is Anthony Edwards, and rarely do the MN Timberwolves seem to hit on mid-round talents. They leveraged plenty of the future when trading for Rudy Gobert. Their latest acquisition could make it all worth it though.

President of basketball operations Tim Connelly and head coach Chris Finch sent all of the Wolves best youngsters down to the desert, including 2024 1st round picks Rob Dillingham and TJ Shannon Jr, along with 2025 top pick, Joan Beringer, and even 2023 picks like Leonard Miller and Jaylen Clark.

Without a doubt, Minnesota has one of the more veteran, talented rosters down in Vegas this summer, something they showed off for much of Thursday’s win over the Pelicans. But there’s one overarching storyline from this afternoon that stood out above all others.

Joan Beringer debuts better than advertised

If you were watching the start of today’s game or you were anywhere near MN sports Twitter around 2:30 PM CDT, you became a Joan Beringer believer by 2:45 PM CDT, after the French 7-footer stuffed multiple New Orleans shot attempts in the first few minutes that immediately got the attention of everyone in the arena and watching on TV.

Meet your 2025-26 DPOY: Joan Beringer
pic.twitter.com/6YbP1tQsyL

— Timberwolves Talk (@LetsTalk_Wolves) July 10, 2025

Related: ESPN Expert Crowns Wolves as 1st Round NBA Draft Winner

We knew Beringer came into Summer League play with the reputation of a defensive force everywhere else he has played. But remember, this kid is only 18 years old and he’s only been playing the game of basketball for FOUR of those trips around the sun. So in all reality, we had no idea what to expect from the No. 17 overall draft pick this summer.

But it became very clear early on Thursday afternoon that the Minnesota Timberwolves got a non-lottery steal earlier this month when Joan Beringer fell to them. All day, he didn’t just look like he belonged on the floor in Vegas, he looked like he would belong on a regular season NBA court.

When the desert dust settled between the Wolves and Pels today, Beringer walked off the floor with 11 points on 5/6 from the field, 8 rebounds including three on the offensive glass, 2 steals and a whopping 6 blocks. No doubt he was one of the best players on the floor for all 22+ minutes the young rookie played.

Joan Beringer's first half at #NBA2KSummerLeague:

🏀 11 PTS
🏀 4 REB
🏀 5 BLK

The Timberwolves' first-round pick is DOMINATING THE PAINT 😤 pic.twitter.com/v4KmwLcuRV

— NBA (@NBA) July 10, 2025

Overall solid start for Minnesota Timberwolves summer squad

Not everything went as planned today. While Beringer, Shannon Jr and Jaylen Clark showed out, Rob Dillingham (15 pts, 6 ast, 7 TO) had a tougher time than what you’d like to see from a 2nd year former top 10 pick.

But overall, the Minnesota Timberwolves have to be happy with what they saw from their youngsters Thursday, especially their latest top pick, Joan Beringer.

Next up, the Wolves summer squad will get the Denver Nuggets Saturday at 9 PM on NBA TV and ESPN3.

Those two youngsters aren’t the only big names to represent the Timberwolves this summer. Minnesota needs Rob Dillingham to take serious steps forward this offseason and he’ll be given the chance to showcase where he’s at. Fellow first round pick Terrence Shannon Jr. will join him.

Second year talent make MN Timberwolves Summer League roster

Rob Dillingham looked like he needed much more development than Terrence Shannon Jr. did last season as rookies in the NBA. Both of them are going to get run for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the Summer League circuit in Las Vegas. The roster was made public on Thursday.

The most notable names on the roster outside of the two recent draft picks include Dillingham, Shannon Jr., Miller, and Clark. Each of them got run during different parts of the Minnesota Timberwolves regular season last year.

Shannon Jr. has arguably already outgrown the constraints of the Summer League. He played in 32 games last season for Minnesota and averaged 10.6 minutes per game. He scored just 4.3 points per game, but was a bright spot when the training wheels came off.

Terrence Shannon Jr. in the last 30 hours:

— 24 points
— 11 rebounds
— 7 assists
— 8/17 FG, 2/7 3P, 6/6 FT
— 49 minutes

Not only is he playing with nonstop energy, but he is also playing like a 30-year-old vet. Incredibly bought in on defense, and the offense has looked great. pic.twitter.com/NJUVhV0iAj

— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) February 14, 2025

The Timberwolves saw Shannon Jr. record a career-high 25 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in February, and he poured in double-digits on five separate occasions. With the departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Shannon Jr. looks like a prime candidate to pick up extra minutes in the rotation.

It will be interesting to see how both Brenginer and Zikarski fare stateside. The former is expected to join Minnesota this season and could push for minutes as a backup center. The latter is expected to stay in Australia and continue to develop until the Timberwolves need his services.

Related: ESPN Expert Crowns Wolves as 1st Round NBA Draft Winner

Dillingham showed flashes that made him a lottery pick last season. Unfortunately they didn’t translate to consistent production at the NBA level and he was often riding the pine. The Minnesota Timberwolves desperately need a facilitator to run the offense and contribute behind Mike Conley. Dillingham’s opportunity is right in front of him.

The NBA Summer League starts on July 10 and the championship game is scheduled for July 20th. Minnesota kicks off their practices on Monday July 7th and will be led by assistant coach Kevin Hanson.

Instead, the Timberwolves ultimately stayed put, just outside the draft lottery, and selected French 7-footer, Joan Beringer. Minnesota hopes that fellow countryman Rudy Gobert can help ease Beringer’s transition to pro basketball in America.

The new 18-year-old big man just learned how to speak English recently, a language that reportedly took him only 7 months to figure out. Much like Rudy, Beringer is known for his shot-blocking and defensive abilities. He can also run and stretch the floor in a way Gobert cannot.

The 2025 NBA Draft is not over yet. This is the second-straight offseason that the NBA Draft has been split into two days and the Minnesota Timberwolves happen to hold the first overall selection in tonight’s second round, a pick GM Matt Lloyd thinks they will get future 1st round offers for throughout the day.

Joan Beringer draws glowing praise for Minnesota Timberwolves

But let’s stay focused on Minnesota’s 2025 first round pick, because the Timberwolves are receiving a lot of praise Thursday morning for the Joan Beringer selection. Most NBA Draft pundits see Beringer as a cinch NBA talent, once he gets a couple years to grow into his potential.

But one draft expert, Jeremy Woo (ESPN), even tagged the Wolves as Wednesday night’s biggest non-lottery winner, noting “it’s hard to find centers with his caliber of physical traits who can also run the floor and protect the rim”.

Joan Beringer to the Timberwolves at No. 17. I’m high on Beringer’s long-term outlook — it’s hard to find centers with his caliber of physical traits who can also run the floor and protect the rim. His age and relative inexperience leave a ton of room for him to improve.

Getting to develop behind another Frenchman in Rudy Gobert, who could be a valuable mentor as Beringer makes a major leap to the NBA level, could be an ideal situation to help him tap into his significant ability. This might take some time to pay off, but as Minnesota continues to try to build a winner with Anthony Edwards, landing a talent of this caliber and also addressing a long-term need could be a real coup.

Jeremy Woo – ESPN

At just 18 years old, Beringer is a late basketball bloomer, having only played the game for four years of his life, to this point. Last year, he played his first professional season, as a member of Cedevita Olimpija (Slovenia).

Without a doubt, the Minnesota Timberwolves grabbed one of the biggest risers during the draft process and one of the highest-ceiling big man talents available in 2025.

Joan Beringer can be a MASSIVE addition to the Minnesota Timberwolves

Actually extremely excited

pic.twitter.com/To3yoVSClf

— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) June 26, 2025

Related: Lore, A-Rod Re-Up on Threat to Privately Fund New Timberwolves Arena

It’s possible that a couple short years from now, Beringer develops into the perfect replacement for Rudy Gobert, except he won’t require the same trade haul that the MN Timberwolves sent to the Utah Jazz a few years ago.

The draft board appeared to be falling in the Minnesota Timberwolves favor for much of the first round. That was until the Khaman Maluach slide ended, and Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber — who the Wolves were connected to throughout the pre-draft process — went two picks earlier (15th) to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

But if the teenage Joan Beringer is their consolation prize, then the Timberwolves have to feel pretty good about how the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft went down. Now, it’s time to have another good night in round two.

Although Tim Connelly dangled the 17th overall pick to the Phoenix Suns in a potential trade package for Kevin Durant, his attempts were thwarted. That left the team president in position to make a first round selection just days after Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore’s group took over as owners of the franchise.

Last season Connelly moved up in the draft to grab Rob Dillingham. He was reportedly eyeing that opportunity this time around as well, but it never came to fruition. Instead the MN Timberwolves stayed at 17 and grabbed center Joan Beringer.

Center Joan Beringer goes to Minnesota Timberwolves

You don’t have to imagine Rudy Gobert going anywhere, but he’s now going to be joined by another Frenchman at the center position. With the 17th overall pick, the MN Timberwolves took big man Joan Beringer.

With the 17th pick of the NBA Draft the @Timberwolves select Joan Beringer!

2025 #NBADraft presented by State Farm LIVE on ABC & ESPN!

— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) June 26, 2025

At 7’0″ Joan Beringer checks in near the same height as fellow Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert (7’1″). His ridiculous 7’4.5″ wingspan is why scorers fear him going to the hole.

The 18-year-old played 17 games for Cedevita Olimpija in the Euro Cup this season. As a youngster he averaged just 17.5 minutes per game but averaged 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. Across 30 games in the AdmiralBet League Beringer got 18.3 minutes per game and tallied 4.1 rebounds with 1.5 blocks.

Joan Beringer is raw, he’s toolsy, and he might just be the most intriguing defensive prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft class.

At 7’0” in shoes with a stupid 7’4.5” wingspan, Beringer swallows up space like a vacuum—fluid, long, and annoying to deal with on the perimeter. The… pic.twitter.com/8WCyzYzk2m

— NBA Draft Dude 🤙 (@CoreyTulaba) June 22, 2025

ESPN called Beringer the best rim protector in saying his “draft stock skyrocketed this season as scouts gradually made the trip to see him in Europe, as his excellent defensive abilities and shot-blocking chops at 18 years old were on display.”

Rudy Gobert’s contract extension kicks in this season for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He’s set to earn $109.5 million over the next three years. After the 2026-27 season though, Gobert owns a player option. It’s obvious that Beringer could wind up being the replacement.

Both Beringer and Gobert having the same geographical background should serve the youngster well from an acclimation process. His addition to the Timberwolves rotation should also present Chris Finch an opportunity to utilize Naz Reid (assuming he signs an extension) in the forward role rather than playing center.

Report: Lore, A-Rod Re-Up on Threat to Privately Fund New Timberwolves Arena

Minnesota still needs some help on the playmaker and point guard front. If they want to push Anthony Edwards beyond the Western Conference Finals in 2025-26, then roster construction will continue to be a focal point the rest of the summer.

Expect more from Joan Beringer as MN Timberwolves time grows

Rudy Gobert has won a ridiculous four defensive player of the year awards. He’s among the best big men to ever step on the hardwood. He has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team eight times. Joan Beringer aspires to be even a shred of that.

The good news for him, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, is that the youngster has arrived in the perfect landing spot. He’s 18 years old and has been playing professionally for just a single season. He only began playing basketball at 14 and his ability to develop remains uncapped.

Joan Beringer is set up to potentially be the surprise lottery selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The 18-year-old French big with a near 7’5” wingspan is generating significant interest all the way into the top-10. pic.twitter.com/7ZaRYUqB5t

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 24, 2025

With someone he can lean on, from a similar background, the Timberwolves clearly knew what they were doing. Being around young teammates like Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and others there may not be a way to maximize his potential more.

There are going to be some growing pains, but it’s clear why Connelly and company liked this path forward. If things work out as planned, the Minnesota rotation is going to be that much more scary.