Is Beringer up next?
The Minnesota Timberwolves pushed their way to the Western Conference semifinals before falling to the San Antonio Spurs in six games.
It was a solid run, but the front office decided the roster wasn't close enough to a title, and the moves they've made this offseason have changed the look of things in a big way.
The biggest deal of the offseason sent Naz Reid, an unprotected 2033 first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for LaMelo Ball and Josh Green.
Reid was a former Sixth Man of the Year who averaged 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 2025-26, and letting him go was not easy.
But the chance to pair Ball with Anthony Edwards was too good to pass on, especially after the Timberwolves struggled to find steady playmaking alongside Edwards in the playoffs.
Ball averaged 20.1 points and 7.1 assists for Charlotte last season while shooting 36.8 percent from three in 72 regular-season games, his healthiest stretch since 2021-22.
Together with Edwards, who put up 28.8 points per game on career-best shooting numbers, the Timberwolves now have one of the most talented backcourts in the Western Conference and the front office is confident it can build a championship-level roster around them.
With Reid now in Charlotte, the backup center spot behind Rudy Gobert belongs to Joan Beringer, and the 19-year-old Frenchman is someone the organization clearly believes in.
Beringer was the 17th pick in the 2025 Draft and only played 314 total minutes as a rookie, but what he showed in that small window was hard to ignore.
He posted 17.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per 36 minutes , and he closed the regular season with a 24-point, 13-rebound, seven-block game against the Pelicans that had fans buzzing.
The Timberwolves reportedly kept Beringer off limits during trade talks involving Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier in the offseason, which shows how much they believe in his ceiling.
He only started playing basketball in 2021 after outgrowing his soccer cleats in France, and the speed of his growth since then has been remarkable for a player who just turned 19 in November.
Minnesota's projected starting five features Ball and Edwards in the backcourt with Jaden McDaniels, Ayo Dosunmu and Gobert up front.
The bench is where Beringer steps in as the backup center, joining a group that includes Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, Josh Green, Jaylen Clark and rookie Isaiah Evans out of Duke .
The frontcourt depth took a real hit with both Reid and Julius Randle gone this offseason, and Donte DiVincenzo is still recovering from a ruptured Achilles he suffered against Denver, so there are still needs to address before training camp.
For Beringer, though, the path ahead is wide open, and if he can cut down on his fouling and prove that he's ready for bigger minutes next season, the Timberwolves might have found Gobert's long-term replacement sooner than anyone expected.
