Nailing the NBA Draft every year is an impossible task -- that's especially the case for second-round picks. However, when you see a player who would be absolutely perfect for your team flourishing with a different team, that has to sting. For the Minnesota Timberwolves, that absolutely has to be the case after passing on Maxime Raynaud in the second-round.
Yes, technically, the Wolves drafted Rocco Zikarsky three picks after Raynaud. Nevertheless, they traded back twice to draft Zikarsky. Trading the 31st pick for the 35th pick and two future seconds seemed like a logical move, but trading back again to the 45th pick didn't make much sense. Keeping the 35th pick would have put the Timberwolves in a prime position to draft Raynaud.
It was always clear that Raynaud (a four-year college player) was an NBA-ready prospect. With the Sacramento Kings, Raynaud has proved to be just that -- averaging 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, on 56.1/32/71.9 shooting splits. The Stanford product has started in place of the injured Domantas Sabonis for the past 18 games, and in these games, he's averaging 12.8 points and 8.6 rebounds.
Maxime Raynaud moves extremely well for his size, and that’s something that’s stood out about him since college
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) January 13, 2026
Seeing that translate to the NBA level has been great to see too pic.twitter.com/i7Q7sdHMfk
Maxime Raynaud could have been an immediate impact player
Given the Wolves' need for backup center and Raynaud's NBA-made skill set, it's hard to argue that he wouldn't be a perfect fit. Maybe Chris Finch wouldn't have played any rookie, but Raynaud would certainly have an increased chance to play, especially given the Timberwolves' struggles in the non-Rudy Gobert minutes.
The Wolves' decision to draft two raw yet high upside centers was puzzling to me. Listen, I like Joan Beringer and Zikarsky, and their upside is clear. However, on a team with title aspirations, I always lean toward drafting an experienced player. Raynaud's floor was always on the higher side, and it seems like he will be a high-level contributor for years to come.
Maybe Beringer and Zikarsky will turn out to be awesome. I wouldn't be surprised, but it will likely take a while, especially for Zikarsky. Complementing the high upside of Beringer with a safer pick in Raynaud would have been a logical combination, and this would have given the Wolves a clear center rotation of the future.
I'm not just saying this because of the early results either -- at the time, I thought drafting two raw centers was curious, and Raynaud was a top 30 prospect on my big board.
The Wolves' defense is 16.2 points per 100 possessions worse when Gobert is off the floor. I'd like to see if Beringer could help with these non-Rudy minutes. Regardless, I think it's more likely that Finch would trust a 22-year-old Raynaud had they drafted him. Raynaud's main value is his offensive touch and rebounding, but he is also a quality drop coverage and help defender.
Ultimately, it's hard to see how well Raynaud is playing in Sacramento and not wonder why the Wolves passed up on a chance to draft an immediate rotation player.