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Timberwolves Projected to Gamble on Joan Beringer in NBA Mock Draft
Timberwolves Projected to Gamble on Joan Beringer in NBA Mock Draft

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Timberwolves Projected to Gamble on Joan Beringer in NBA Mock Draft

Timberwolves Projected to Gamble on Joan Beringer in NBA Mock Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Timberwolves enter the 2025 NBA Draft searching for the right pieces for their puzzle. After the team nearly reached the NBA Finals the past two postseasons, their priority is to keep building a talented roster around star Anthony Edwards. Advertisement That may start with securing some of the players they currently have, including Naz Reid and Julius Randle. They have player options in their contracts to opt into or out of to test free agency, but the team would prefer to keep them on the roster. There's also the potential for trades, which are likely to arrive during the NBA Draft. Minnesota holds the No. 17 pick, and could decide to shop that with a few roster members to add another star player with Edwards. Some fans and analysts may believe drafting or trading for a veteran point guard is a priority due to Mike Conley's age. Others believe that the Wolves should stick with who they have for now, and draft a backup big man for the future. French draft prospect Joan Beringer dunking the ball during One prospect recently linked to Minnesota is French center Joan Beringer. The 18-year-old is listed at 6-foot-11 without shoes and played for Cedevita Olimpija this past season. Advertisement He could be a gamble for any team to draft, due to a small sample size which shows he's still improving his skills on offense. Beringer averaged just 4.7 points and 4.6 rebounds during his international play in Slovenia. On they mention his 7-foot-2 wingspan, and a "blend of size, mobility, and defensive upside" seemingly have him rising up the draft board ahead of the event. However, they also refer to Beringer as the draft's biggest "mystery" due to various teams wondering if he's worth the early risk. In NBC Sports' new mock draft, they contend that Gobert's primary backup, Reid, isn't the best defender. NBC Sports suggests that Beringer would be the sort of player that the Timberwolves could draft to develop as a backup rim protector. Beringer hadn't popped up with the Wolves in many NBA mock drafts, and was instead predicted to go to several teams above them. In ESPN's mock draft, NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony projects the San Antonio Spurs will select him with the No. 14 pick, while NBADraft suggested he could go at No. 15 to the Thunder. Advertisement If he falls to the Wolves, he seems like a risk worth taking, as he's considered the best shot blocker in the draft. ESPN also mentioned his measurements at 18 are similar to those of current pros Jaren Jackson Jr. and Myles Turner. If Beringer is not available, there's been a variety of prospects named in mock drafts as the Timberwolves' projected pick at No. 17. They've included Georgetown's Thomas Sorber, UConn's Liam McNeeley, Maryland Derik Queen, and Georgia's Asa Newell. At the Timberwolves' subreddit, fans continue to debate whether they'd rather see the team select a talented guard, wing, or big man in the draft. There doesn't seem to be much of a consensus, as anything could happen. Advertisement A lot will depend on how things shake out after the first three picks, and whether or not there are trades down the line. Minnesota will certainly have some intriguing options, should they keep their pick on Wednesday night. Related: Anthony Edwards is Among Jeremiah Fears' Most Anticipated NBA Opponents Related: NBA Mock Draft Predicts Timberwolves Will Pick UConn's Liam McNeeley This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.

Austin Rivers Admits Anthony Edwards Needs More Support
Austin Rivers Admits Anthony Edwards Needs More Support

Yahoo

time08-06-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Austin Rivers Admits Anthony Edwards Needs More Support

Austin Rivers Admits Anthony Edwards Needs More Support originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Timberwolves have come close two years in a row. They lost in two consecutive Western Conference Finals, which should lead to more improvements to get over the hump. Advertisement Former Timberwolves player Austin Rivers have observed the team quite closely, so he has a good understanding of what makes the team work. He feels it is time for some big changes to help the team push forward. Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Success in the modern NBA requires depth and high-level athleticism. In the current Timberwolves squad, Edwards and Jaden McDaniels are high-level athletes, but the roster is slower than most teams. They are still quite talented, but they do not have the intangibles teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers have during their runs to the NBA Finals this season. Related: Chris Finch Admits The Timberwolves' 2024-25 Season Was A Modest Success Rivers Knows The Timberwolves Need To Support Edwards As a modern basketball mind, Rivers knows what it takes for teams to succeed. With what he has seen with the Timberwolves, he knows they will be a better team if they make improvements with their roster. Advertisement A big part of their success should involve a high-level playmaker alongside Edwards in the backcourt. Mike Conley Jr. is a fantastic player, but he is 37. He is not getting any younger, so the Timberwolves must make some big changes to the roster. They could promote Rob Dillingham to be the starting point guard, but that might be too fast, considering he had sporadic minutes during his rookie season. "You've gone to the Conference Finals two years in a row. Clearly, you have some good intel and a good team. You're just a piece or two away," Rivers said on his Off Guard show. "There needs to be another dominant ball-handler... At this point, they need to get a guard who can take the ball out of Ant's hands, and say 'Slow down,' and have that respect to create and dribble other than him. He needs one other guy." The Path For Improvement Is Clear For Minnesota The Timberwolves can make massive improvements to the team if they play their cards right. Of course, they must retain their important players like Naz Reid and Julius Randle, but there is room for upgrades for the point guard position. Advertisement Easing Dillingham into a prominent role is a good option, but looking for a high-level point guard can also be good. Dangling the chance to play alongside Anthony Edwards is a good way to convince more players because he has a good reputation as a teammate across the league. Making it into the Western Conference Finals in two consecutive years should elevate the Timberwolves' standards. They do not want to settle for second place in the West. The Timberwolves do not want to beat the Thunder, and that can be done by giving Edwards the secondary playmaker. It is unclear who that player will be, but that is team president Tim Connelly's job. If he can find the right answer, the Timberwolves are in good shape to compete for a championship. Advertisement Related: Jaden McDaniels Admits Rob Dillingham Will Improve in The 2025-26 Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.

Tim Connelly: Timberwolves need to be 'creative as possible' with roster
Tim Connelly: Timberwolves need to be 'creative as possible' with roster

Reuters

time04-06-2025

  • Business
  • Reuters

Tim Connelly: Timberwolves need to be 'creative as possible' with roster

June 3 - It's fair to say Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly's default position is not to stand pat. In February 2023, he moved D'Angelo Russell for Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker - two key parts of the Timberwolves' eight-man rotation that just reached the Western Conference finals for the second straight year. Last October, Connelly shipped four-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo - two more key pieces in that eight-man rotation. So, with the NBA draft and free agency fast approaching, what might Connelly have in store in order to get the Timberwolves to their first NBA title? "I mean, you're always just guessing," Connelly said. "I mean, I don't know. I mean, until you win it all, you've got to be very self-critical and look for areas where you can improve upon. "This time of year is especially active because the draft (precedes) free agency, so it's really one of the biggest transactional windows we have. We feel very happy with the core we have. We don't feel like there's a tremendous pressure to do much. But, you know, until you're raising the trophy, you've got to be active and creative as possible to try to get to a point where, at some point, you're the final team." Presuming Connelly wants to bring back every member of that eight-man rotation that went 27-12 over the final three months of the regular season and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 and the Golden State Warriors 4-1 in the playoffs, he's going to have to do some financial gymnastics. Minnesota led the NBA in total cap allocations in 2024-25 at $237,156,897. Hypothetically, the Wolves could live well above the cap again, but forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid are veterans who get to decide whether to accept a contract option for next season or become a free agent. Meanwhile, Alexander-Walker is an unrestricted free agent. "The goal is to keep everybody," Connelly said. But if any or all three move on, the Timberwolves have the Nos. 17 and 31 picks in the NBA draft. They also have three youngsters who just completed their first season - wing Terrence Shannon Jr., guard Rob Dillingham and forward Jaylen Clark - who could warrant more minutes next year. At the same time, the current group lost the Western Conference finals in five games to the Oklahoma City Thunder - an organization loaded with enough younger players and first-round picks that it ought to contend for several more years. "I think (our) team grew together as it got to know each other, so I don't know if there's a ton of certain skillsets we need," Connelly said. "I think it's more kind of collective maturity - to be able to play different ways and have... you know, every night we're not going to be able to be super-productive. So how do we win those games (that are) kind of in the mud? "You know, we've got a bunch of guys who have these huge roles that are starting to get a little bit older. So you always want to have people behind them. So I think there's some positions that potentially could be more of (a) need because of how the present roster is set up." --Field Level Media

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