What’s better than one French center?

Two.

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.

“I’m happy. I’m very happy,” Beringer said. “And also to play with Rudy Gobert, it’s an amazing feeling.”

Beringer, who stands at 6 foot 11 with a 7 foot, 4.5 inch wingspan, just started playing basketball four years ago but has impressed with his athleticism, size and motor as he’s climbed the French ranks. He was touted as one of the best, if not the best, rim protector in this year’s draft class, with the athleticism to play a variety of defensive coverages.

He’s a lob threat and a rim runner who fits well into the young group of athletes Minnesota is assembling. Despite his youth, Beringer will come to America and join the Wolves’ organization this next season.

There is an opening for a center of the future within Minnesota’s organization with Gobert at 33 years old. The Wolves played largely sans a true backup center last season.

The Timberwolves also have some questions about frontcourt depth this offseason with both Naz Reid and Julius Reid having player options this summer that, if they were to be declined, could allow both forwards to enter free agency this offseason. Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has stated the team’s goal is to retain both players.

But Beringer feels like a pick with the distant future in mind. Minnesota is in a position with a currently competitive roster to where it can continue to add young talent to its cupboard in a new apron salary cap era, where cores can only be kept together for so long.

On his Game Theory live podcast Thursday night, draft analyst Sam Vecenie said the Beringer selection was “like the easiest pick in the world.”

“Beringer is a real developmental player. He is an incredible athlete. Like an unbelievable athlete,” Vecenie said. “Super long arms, great hands, catches everything in his area. Moves like a wing. Moves at a level that no other big in this class really achieves.”

Yes, Vecenie acknowledged Beringer is “raw.” It will take time for the big man to grow into a contributing role for the Wolves.

“There is legitimately no better player for Beringer to learn from in the NBA than Rudy Gobert, because this is the exact archetype. This is exactly what it is,” Vecenie said. “So I think this is a great pick from Tim Connelly. I think it makes a ton of sense, and I am a huge fan of what they’ve done here.”

Now it’s on the Wolves to commit to Beringer’s development. That’s been a strength of Minnesota’s in recent years. And the teenager seems committed to the work. When asked what his message to Wolves fans is, Beringer responded, “I will give everything for you.”

“I will give my energy, my defense. I want to improve to be the best and I want to keep on this way,” Beringer said. “To practice hard every day, this is my goal. I’m very happy to have the chance to play for Minnesota.”

As Boston showed this week, when it had to trade Kristaps Porizingis and Jrue Holiday from its 2024 title team to duck under the second apron, financial constraints will force teams to continue to turn pages from one edition of their rosters to the next every couple seasons to remain in salary cap compliance.

So, while trading draft picks for players who can upgrade the roster in the moment may be intriguing, selecting players like Beringer who can come in, develop and eventually contribute on cost-controlled contracts helps extend Minnesota’s competitive window for years to come with Anthony Edwards serving as the focal point.

The presence of a fellow countryman like Gobert will not only help Beringer make the transition to living in America, but it’s also a prototype of the dominant defensive player Beringer can hope to emulate in years to come as Minnesota hopes to maintain a consistent defensive, physical identity around its superstar.

This is another step in that direction.

Minnesota also owns the No. 31 pick in this draft, which will be the first selection in the second round on Thursday.

Related Articles

NBA approves Timberwolves and Lynx sale to Lore, Rodriguez

Timberwolves’ draft picks have trade value, but these prospects could help

Can Pacers contend again if Tyrese Haliburton misses all of next season?

Timberwolves/Lynx ownership transfer near, Glen and Becky Taylor say goodbye

St. Paul’s Sean Sweeney reportedly takes top assistant job with Spurs

Minnesota became the latest state Wednesday to face a lawsuit from the Trump administration seeking to force it to give its high school graduates who entered the U.S. illegally as immigrants the same lower tuition rates reserved for in-state citizens.

In addition to targeting the 2013 Minnesota Dream Act, the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit also seeks to strike down a new law that allows the same immigrant students to receive scholarships covering part or all of their tuition under the state’s North Star Promise program, which debuted last fall. The department filed its case in federal district court in Minnesota, naming Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison as defendants, along with the state’s Office of Higher Education.

The Justice Department has filed similar lawsuits this month against policies in Kentucky and Texas. Last week, a federal judge in Texas blocked that state’s law giving a tuition break to students living in the U.S. illegally after the state’s Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, said he supported the legal challenge.

Walz’s office said it is reviewing the lawsuit “to better understand what this means for the state.”

Justice Department says state discriminates against US citizens

The lawsuit argued that Minnesota is “flagrantly violating” a federal law that prevents states from providing a benefit in higher education to resident students living in the U.S. illegally if U.S. citizens cannot receive the same benefits. States generally set higher tuition rates for out-of-state students.

Also, President Donald Trump issued executive orders in February directing federal agencies to see that public benefits do not go to immigrants living in the U.S. illegally and to challenge state and local policies seen as favoring those immigrants over some citizens. The lawsuit argues that the Republican president’s orders enforce federal immigration laws.

The lawsuit also argues that Minnesota’s policies discriminate against U.S. citizens.

“No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.

More lawsuits could be coming

The Justice Department’s lawsuit in Minnesota noted the cases filed earlier this month in Kentucky and Texas but did not mention any other states as potential targets of litigation. However, in discussing the Texas case, Bondi has suggested more lawsuits might be coming.

Last year, Florida ended its tuition break for students living there illegally, but at least 21 states have laws or policies granting them, in addition to the University of Michigan system, according to the National Immigration Law Center, which favors them. Those states include Democratic-leaning ones such as California and New York, but also GOP-leaning ones like Kansas and Nebraska.

According to the center, at least 16 states allow the immigrant students to receive scholarships or other aid to go to college.

States deny discrimination against US citizens

Supporters of the state tuition breaks argue that they don’t violate federal law if they provide the same rates to U.S. citizens in the same circumstances — meaning they are residents of the state and graduates of one of its high schools.

Generally states have imposed other requirements. For example, Minnesota requires male students to have registered with the U.S. Selective Service System and all students to be seeking legal resident status if that’s possible.

Backers of the laws also argue that the students generally were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents, often when they were far younger, and are as much a part of their local communities as U.S.-born students. Also, they contend that such immigrants tend to be motivated high achievers.

The Twins’ pitching staff has endured a relatively turbulent month of June. That’s been especially noticeable in the rotation, which has had a shaky month.

But not Joe Ryan.

Ryan, who has been the Twins’ most consistent starter this season, gave the team exactly what it needed on Wednesday night, throwing six scoreless innings in the Twins’ 2-0 win over the Seattle Mariners at Target Field on Wednesday.

Ryan’s effort was badly needed and kept his team in the game on a quieter day for the offense. Within those six innings, he struck out Major League Baseball’s home run and RBI leader, Cal Raleigh, three times, catching him looking twice. Those three strikeouts came on a night in which Ryan recorded eight of them.

He negated a hit by pitch and a pair of errors behind him, allowed just three hits and did not see a runner reach third base in a dominant effort. With the performance, he lowered his ERA on the season to 2.86.

And he did so for a team that entered the day with a bloated collective ERA this month and was riding a five-game losing streak.

Ryan had limited run support in his start, but what he got ended up being just enough.

The Twins, who finished the day with just four hits of their own, finally got on the board in the sixth inning with a Willi Castro single, which brought home Byron Buxton. It was the only run the Twins would scratch across against Mariners starter George Kirby in his six innings of work.

An inning later, second baseman Kody Clemens gave the Twins a bit of breathing room, getting hold of a breaking ball and sending it out to left field. The opposite-field homer was his ninth of the season, a new career high for him.

That two-run lead was enough for Jhoan Duran, who responded to Tuesday’s effort in which he hit two batters and allowed the game-winning run in the ninth inning, with a perfect ninth inning on Wednesday. Louie Varland and Griffin Jax also threw scoreless innings in the Twins’ win.

Related Articles

Twins pitching staff searching for answers amid tough stretch

Twins battle back but fall yet again to Mariners

Report: Twins pick up option on manager Rocco Baldelli’s contract for 2026

Twins blown out yet again — this time by Mariners

Twins say selling at deadline ‘not at all our focus’

A St. Paul resident, Kelly Sofio, woke up this week and noticed her flagpole was on the ground and her pride flag was missing. Her husband found the flag vandalized on the ground down the street.

Sofio said she felt hurt and “then immediately angry.”

It was among 16 instances of vandalism of rainbow flags reported to St. Paul police in the Highland Park and Macalester-Groveland neighborhoods between Sunday and Wednesday afternoon.

Neighbors have been rallying together, buying more flags and signs and planning to display them in their yards.

A Highland Park resident has ordered rainbow flags and pride yard signs so she can hand them out. She’s not charging people and instead requesting they make a donation to an LGBTQ+ organization of their choice such as the Trevor Project or OutFront Minnesota.

The recent vandalism has made her feel scared, said Michelle, who asked that her last name not be used for her safety. She’s a member of the LGTBQ+ community and said her family was harassed in the past.

“In order to not feel scared, I went into action,” Michelle said of organizing to get flags to people.

Sofio, who described herself as an ally who flies the rainbow flag during Pride Month and other times of the year, discovered her Ring doorbell had recorded video shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday of a person taking down the flagpole on the front of her home, snapping the pole and then walking away with the flag.

When they later found the flag, it looked like it had been cut with a knife, Sofio said. Sofio had an older pride flag, which she “pretty immediately” hung outside her home.

“This community has been through so much,” Sofio said. “If you lived through the AIDS crisis in the ’80s and the ’90s and you lost people, and then, really, you’re going to be a coward and come at us with a mask on in the middle of the night, and you’re going to cut up our flag? … It made me really sad that there’s people like this now.”

Police asking people to check home surveillance video

Three of the cases have been on Jefferson Avenue, between the 1700 and 2000 blocks; another two were on the 1200 block of Palace Avenue and two more on the 1700 block of Bayard Avenue.

Police are investigating the reports they’ve received “under the assumption these cases are related, but with limited video and suspect information, we cannot say for certain,” said Nikki Muehlhausen, a St. Paul police spokesperson.

They’re urging people in the Highland Park and Macalester-Groveland neighborhoods to come forward if they have any surveillance footage that may show the suspect or related information.

Tips can be called into the department’s Western District at 651-266-5512 or by emailing charles.graupman@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

Flags, signs being distributed Friday

Lawrence and Kat Panas, who live in the same neighborhood as Sofio, woke up Tuesday morning and discovered their pride flag and a sign in their yard had been vandalized.

Related Articles

Motorist charged with hitting maintenance scissor lift inside North Shore highway tunnel

Minneapolis woman gets nearly 24 years for driving SUV into crowd, killing Fridley teen

Woman with ties to a cultlike group to appear in court after border agent’s killing

Two teens, both 15, injured in shooting in St. Paul

Burnsville man called ‘serial fraudster’ sentenced to seven years in prison

They’ve responded by buying extra yard signs and offering them to anyone in the neighborhood who had theirs destroyed or who wants one. They also found some pride flags in stock around the Twin Cities, and are giving one to a neighbor whose flag was vandalized and another one as a gift.

People have contacted Michelle about the flags and signs she’ll be giving out. She plans to have them available outside Spyhouse Coffee Roasters on St. Paul’s Snelling Avenue Friday between noon and 1 p.m., and again from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. — people who’ve contacted her will get first priority, then residents of the neighborhood, and any extras will be for anyone who want them.

She’s encouraging people to put them in their yards, but consider taking them in for the evening, and taking a moment to meet a neighbor they haven’t.

A separate GoFundMe is fundraising for flags in the Mac-Groveland area.