On Friday, it was announced that Thunder rookie center Thomas Sorber tore his right ACL during an offseason workout on Thursday. That catastrophic injury will sideline the big man for the entire 2025-26 season. Sorber was selected 15th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, two slots before the Timberwolves made their first-round selection.
There is a possibility that Minnesota would have taken the 6-foot-10 center out of Georgetown with their 17th overall pick if Oklahoma City had decided to go elsewhere with their selection.
Timberwolves took Joan Beringer two picks after Thunder selected Thomas Sorber
It probably will never be known if Minnesota would have taken Sorber if he had still been around for pick No. 17. Instead, they took French center Joan Beringer with that selection.
For a Timberwolves team with championship aspirations, it would have been a big loss to lose their first-round pick for the entire season. With the Wolves using their two draft picks on centers (Rocco Zikarsky as well, with the 45th selection), it seems evident that the team is hoping to find a successor to Rudy Gobert once he moves on.
Gobert, preparing for his 13th NBA season and fourth with the Timberwolves, turned 33 years old on June 26. He is signed through 2026-27, with a $38 million player option in 2027-28. If he picks up his player option and remains with Minnesota, Beringer will still only be 22 years old once Gobert's contract is set to expire.
Crucial year of development in store for Beringer
Beringer won’t turn 19 years old until November. He doesn’t even have all that much experience playing the sport of basketball. His minutes could be inconsistent to start the season, but he could prove useful, particularly on the days when Minnesota may be short-handed in the frontcourt. Beringer looks to have loads of potential, particularly on the defensive end, meaning he may be Minnesota's best option to fill in as a rim-protector in games that Gobert may be forced to sit out. Naz Reid is certainly ahead of Beringer on the depth chart, but he isn't the level of defender that Beringer could be.
Plus, Beringer will receive a crucial year of development and will likely learn a ton watching and practicing against Gobert. Again, it’s unclear if the Timberwolves would have taken Sorber if he had still been available at their pick, but not having him all season would have been a huge blow.