Joan Beringer became the Minnesota Timberwolves' first-round pick at the 2025 NBA Draft, bringing a French center who it's believed could replace the team's current center, Rudy Gobert. Beringer is still unpolished and needs development, but he'll have a great mentor in Gobert.

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.

According to the NBA, Joan Beringer grew up playing soccer and claims he never touched a basketball until the summer of 2021.