Before the Minnesota Timberwolves Summer League team headed to Las Vegas, head coach Nate Bjorkgren spoke about the differences between this year’s team and last year’s.
“Not really, as an organization we’ve taken Summer League really seriously with whoever is here,” said Bubes. “I think the record going back to when Pablo Prigioni went to the championship game in 2019 is 21-11. … Our approach is the same no matter what because we got four guys that are on the Timberwolves’ current team and making sure they are ready for whatever it (role) is.”
Bubes set expectations for this year’s Summer League. Regardless of who’s on the roster, the reality for the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2026 team is that many more players are trying to impress the Wolves and teams around the league with specific skills and an understanding of specific roles.
There are no lottery picks, no likely franchise saviors. There are just a lot of quality players fighting for roles or to keep their careers alive.
Last summer, the Timberwolves assembled an NBA starting lineup. Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. headlined the group, but Jaylen Clark and Tristen Newton also brought NBA experience. Throw in Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky, and arguably last season’s squad was better than some of Minnesota’s regular-season rosters – at least on paper.
This year is a little different. Much like the main roster, Summer League appears to be about discovery and retooling from an NBA experience standpoint.
Joan Beringer
Last season’s 19th overall pick will be Minnesota’s main Summer League attraction. In 40 games during Beringer’s rookie season, he averaged only 7.9 minutes per contest. He averaged 3.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game.
He’s only 20 years old, and his raw potential is apparent, especially since he was a striker on the soccer field, hoping to go professional until just five years ago. Realistically, Beringer is the only player in Summer League with a guaranteed rotational spot, and he will be the feature attraction as he looks to show off all the work he has put in over the past season with bigs coach Kevin Hanson.
Rocco Zikarsky
The 45th overall pick from last season enters his second Summer League, this time as the starting center next to Beringer.
Zikarsky had mixed results as a rookie in 2025-26. In his short time with the Timberwolves, he averaged 2.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists, and 1.0 blocks in just 7.3 minutes of play, mostly late in games. However, Zikarsky was a borderline All-Star in Iowa, averaging 15.8 points per game, 9.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 2.7 blocks on 53.4% shooting from the field.
Zikarsky will get minutes similar to the 27.4 per game he played last season in the G League in Summer League. However, it will be on him to show that he has adapted to the NBA’s size and speed better than last summer and that he has improved enough on the boards to earn a roster spot with the Timberwolves for the entire year.
Enrique Freeman
Freeman appeared in four games on Minnesota’s NBA roster, averaging 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game.
Like Zikarsky, Freeman showed off much more of his game in Iowa. He started 28 games, averaging 17.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Freeman displayed much of the same talent in Iowa that he had shown at Akron before the Indiana Pacers selected him 50th overall in the 2024 draft.
Freeman is a dynamic rebounder with a terrific low-post game, which helped him succeed in college as a small-ball center. Before the team headed down to Las Vegas, Bubes explained why that has been harder for him to do in the NBA.
“I’m really excited about Enrique because… Enrique in college was like a cheat code at the 5,” said Bubes.
“Unfortunately, in the NBA he runs out of size. So, he’s like a 3, 4, and now with the way we’re set up with Joan and Rocco and Trey we get to move him to the 3, 4, and he gets to play the position that will make him an NBA player, and that’s awesome for him because he’s been working that way all season.”
Zyon Pullin
Pullin earned his two-way contract last season through a spectacular season with the Iowa Wolves. In his 11 games with the team, he scored 27.8 points per game and shot 55.0% from three-point range, while also dishing out 6.7 assists compared to only 2.5 turnovers.
His performance earned him a G League Player of the Month award and eventually led the Timberwolves to call him up to the NBA. However, Pullin only played in 5 games because he was seated on the bench behind a crowded backcourt. He averaged 4.6 points and 1.8 assists per game.
In the April 12 game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Pullin erupted for a career-high 19 points.
“It was big time, I think Mike, Joe was a big one, playing a lot of sizzle together and stuff like that,” said Pullin.
“So really trying to just pick their brains. Watch Joe in the pick-and-roll; watch Mike with his poise. They are great vets to learn from, and then you know, watching other guys, watching Bones, I could go down the list. All the different things guys can do, Ayo, the way he puts pressure on the rim. It’s a great learning experience for me. It’s a great learning opportunity.”
Damion Baugh (TCU / Charlotte Hornets)
Baugh suits up as one of two players with NBA experience to join the Timberwolves’ Summer League team from outside the organization. He played 15 games for the Charlotte Hornets in 2024-25.
However, last season, Baugh spent the entire year playing for the Valley Sun, where the 6’4” guard averaged 21.9 points, 9.9 assists, and 5.9 rebounds, while adding 2.4 assists. His shot was inconsistent, shooting 43.6% from the floor and 29.8% from three. Still, Baugh did enough to warrant a look for his creation and scoring abilities.
The fact that he has played basketball on the same team as LaMelo Ball also gives him an advantage in making the roster. However, he will primarily be the backup point guard behind Pullin in Vegas.
Donovan Williams (UNLV/Atlanta Hawks)
Williams doesn’t have much NBA experience. He has only played 4.0 minutes and scored 4.0 points in 2023-24. However, he sets himself apart as a G League mentor and a player who understands his role. He has started 98 games and played in 108 across four G League seasons.
Over the past three seasons, he has averaged more than 20.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. At 26 years old, he’s right on the cusp of making another NBA appearance. Last season, he hit a career-best 50.4% from the floor and 32.4% on 5.7 three-point attempts per game. Williams plays shooting guard, a relatively crowded position on Minnesota’s NBA roster.
However, his greatest asset is his understanding of what it takes to be an NBA role player.
“Really just my maturity, my versatility, I think having four years in the G League and just the production I’ve had,” said Williams. “I think for me this Summer League is about just showing guys I can fit into a role. … For me it’s showing I can come in and fill like an off-the-ball, secondary ball handler role.”
It’s clear that Beringer will have a set role in the NBA next season, backing up Rudy Gobert and spending time at power forward as the Timberwolves navigate life without Julius Randle.
However, for the rest of the players with NBA experience, their job in Summer League will be to showcase why they deserve a two-way contract or a longer look in training camp for a roster spot. All of them have shown flashes in the G League. Still, excluding Beringer, they will be fighting for a role on the 2026-27 Wolves.
