Joan Beringer's time is coming for the Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves are signaling that second-year big man Joan Beringer could be ready for a larger role after his rookie season. General manager Matt Lloyd described team excitement for Beringer’s development, citing an offseason pickup game where Beringer pulled down a defensive rebound and then dribbled the length of the floor to finish over another player. Beringer played in 40 games as a rookie, mostly in garbage-time minutes behind a rotation featuring Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid. With Reid traded to Charlotte for LaMelo Ball and Randle sent to Brooklyn, Beringer is currently penciled in as Gobert’s backup. The club expects him to receive 15–25 minutes nightly, and it will test his versatility in NBA Summer League action at power forward. Timberwolves president Tim Connelly said Beringer is expected to make a defensive impact, with Lloyd noting his offense avoids mistakes.