What’s better than one French center?
Two.
That’s the route Minnesota is taking, as the Timberwolves nabbed Joan Beringer to backup Rudy Gobert. Beringer, 18, was drafted with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round of Wednesday’s NBA draft. The 6-foot-11 Frenchman played last season for Cedevita Olimpija in Slovenia.
Beringer just started playing basketball four years ago but has impressed with his athleticism, size and motor as he’s climbed the French ranks. He was touted as one of the best, if not the best, rim protector in this year’s draft class, with the athleticism to play a variety of defensive coverages.
He’s a lob threat and a rim runner who fits well into the young group of athletes Minnesota is assembling. Despite his youth, Beringer will come to America and join the Wolves’ organization this next season.
There is an opening for a center of the future within Minnesota’s organization with Gobert at 33 years old. The Wolves played largely sans a true backup center last season.
The Timberwolves also have some questions about frontcourt depth this offseason with both Naz Reid and Julius Reid having player options this summer that, if they were to be declined, could allow both forwards to enter free agency this offseason. Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has stated the team’s goal is to retain both players.
But Beringer feels like a pick with the distant future in mind. Minnesota is in a position with a currently competitive roster to where it can continue to add young talent to its cupboard in a new apron salary cap era, where cores can only be kept together for so long.
As Boston showed this week, when it had to trade Kristaps Porizingis and Jrue Holiday from its 2024 title team to duck under the second apron, financial constraints will force teams to continue to turn pages from one edition of their rosters to the next every couple seasons to remain in salary cap compliance.
So, while trading draft picks for players who can upgrade the roster in the moment may be intriguing, selecting players like Beringer who can come in, develop and eventually contribute on cost-controlled contracts helps extend Minnesota’s competitive window for years to come with Anthony Edwards serving as the focal point.
The presence of a fellow countryman like Gobert will not only help Beringer make the transition to living in America, but it’s also a prototype of the dominant defensive player Beringer can hope to emulate in years to come as Minnesota hopes to maintain a consistent defensive, physical identity around its superstar.
This is another step in that direction.
Minnesota also owns the No. 31 pick in this draft, which will be the first selection in the second round on Thursday.