Recent reporting from Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic indicates that the Minnesota Timberwolves view Joan Beringer as "off limits" in trade talks, including for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 19-year-old big man offers plenty of promise. Still, he didn't play much as a rookie, totaling just 314 minutes across 40 games.
Beringer was stuck behind a logjam of big men, including Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and Naz Reid. With at least one of these big men likely being on the move, there should be a clear path for Beringer to earn minutes.
This recent reporting from The Athletic backs up what Jon Krawczynski has previously said about the Wolves viewing Beringer as part of their core moving forward.
Nevertheless, if Beringer is as important to the Wolves' future as reporting indicates, Chris Finch needs to back this up by giving him a quality role in the rotation. Even with most moves, it's fair to wonder if this is an absolute certainty, as Finch is typically hesitant to trust young players.
If the Timberwolves believe this much in Beringer, Finch must play him
Beringer's talent is clear; he's an athletic rim protector with plenty of promise as a rim-runner on offense. Frankly, if you ask me, Beringer was ahead of schedule in the limited rotational opportunities he received this past season, including against high-end competition.
Notably, Beringer notched 14 points, four rebounds and a block against the Houston Rockets and had a stellar 13-point outing against the Milwaukee Bucks (with Giannis) in his first rotational opportunity.
His combination of mobility, good hands and freaky athleticism makes him the ideal center of the future for Minnesota. Likewise, this skill set gives him a chance to develop into a star. There's no denying he's still extremely raw, though. Beringer particularly struggles with defensive discipline, averaging 5.4 fouls per 36 minutes. It also remains unclear how consistent his offensive game is.
The Wolves must find a way to give him between 15 and 20 minutes a night to help him progress, especially given how much they value him. When push comes to shove, though, it's worth wondering whether Finch will be open to this if some of Beringer's mistakes persist. We all remember how quickly things went south with Rob Dillingham (though Beringer has shown more signs of promise).
In Finch's defense, the Wolves are trying to compete for a title and developing young talent while doing so is tricky. Regardless, not committing to developing your center of the future would be problematic.
There might be some road bumps along the way, but ensuring that Beringer is part of the rotation next season is absolutely vital, or else the Wolves are keeping him "off limits" in trade talks for no reason.
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