T-wolves trade down twice in quiet 2nd round for Northwest, after getting French big Beringer in 1st

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves had the first pick in the second round of the NBA draft, fully prepared to field multiple offers for the 31st overall selection.

After keeping their first-rounder at No. 17 for Joan Beringer, the 6-foot-11 shot-blocking project from France, the Timberwolves leaned into the trade calls on Thursday.

That 31st pick went to the Phoenix Suns for No. 36, which was then sent to the Los Angeles Lakers in a separate agreement that landed them at 45th overall. There, in a spot originally belonging to the Chicago Bulls, the Timberwolves took another international big man: 7-foot-2 Rocco Zikarsky from Australia.

“I was hoping to get like 14.4 feet combined, and I achieved that goal,” president of basketball operations Tim Connelly joked.

For a team that has made consecutive Western Conference finals, even Minnesota's first-rounder was bound to be an exercise in player development, especially with an 18-year-old in Beringer who only began playing basketball at age 14.

But even while draft picks outside of the lottery range rarely make an immediate impact in the NBA these days, the second round has become more valuable under the recently altered luxury tax rules. The Wolves played this season above the second apron with the second-highest payroll in the league, resulting in a stiff tax bill and other transactional limitations, and simply need rostered players who count little against the cap.

“The team-building rules are restricted a little bit,” general manager Matt Lloyd said Wednesday after Beringer was drafted. “We have to get our draft picks right, and then we have to be a part of player development.”

Connelly said he sensed a lot of agents driving deals for their clients with certain teams that shaped the second round, somewhat limiting the trade options.

“You know, 31 is fun, but not as fun as we thought it was going to be,” Connelly said.

Beringer will be in full development mode next season, when the Wolves will lean on center Rudy Gobert, a fellow Frenchman, to ease him into the NBA and provide an ideal example of how to effectively protect the paint.

After arranging a private workout with Beringer last weekend, the Wolves were sold on his character, potential and skills enough to stick at No. 17 to pick him.

“He’s like a ball of clay. He was the third-youngest player in the draft. He plays an incredibly vital role in the league right now. His basket-protection is incredible," Lloyd said. "What really kind of helped us solidify the final evaluation is just getting to meet him.”

After building an NBA championship team with a commitment to young player development, the Oklahoma City Thunder dived back into the draft pool. They used the 15th overall pick in the first round on Thomas Sorber, a 6-foot-9 versatile defender from Georgetown who can provide bulk and depth behind the Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.

In the second round on Thursday, the Thunder at No. 44 took Northwestern wing Brooks Barnhizer.

The Utah Jazz, who bottomed out this season with the worst record in the league but had bad lottery luck and got the fifth overall pick, took Ace Bailey from Rutgers. The one-and-done wing, according to reports, declined private workouts with several teams.

Bailey dismissed questions about disinterest in Utah.

“Just a blessing. The little kid in me is smiling hard right now, because I know the hard work, the sacrifice, the blood, the sweat, the tears not just for me but my family put into this,” Bailey said. “The little kid in me is just smiling at me right now.”

The Jazz later moved up to 18th to net point guard Walter Clayton Jr. from national champion Florida, a 22-year-old whose ball skills and clutch shooting were on full display throughout the NCAA Tournament.

Utah had the 53rd overall pick on Thursday and took Wisconsin wing John Tonje.

The Portland Trail Blazers moved down from 11th to 16th on Wednesday that landed them another big man, the 7-foot-2 Yang Hansen. They didn't have a second-rounder.

With a young group led by Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan, the Blazers finished a better-than-expected 36-46 this season. They recently acquired two-time All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday from Boston for Anfernee Simons.

Needs: Dominant scorer, ball-handling guard.

Drafted: Ace Bailey, wing, Rutgers. Walter Clayton Jr., point guard, Florida. John Tonje, wing, Wisconsin. Bailey can shoot from anywhere on the court and should give the Jazz some future scoring punch. Clayton ought to be better-suited to immediately contribute after a standout four-year college career that included a run to this year's NCAA championship.

Current NBA player comparisons: Paul George (Bailey), Coby White (Clayton).

Needs: Frontcourt player with bulk, 3-point shooting wing.

Drafted: Thomas Sorber, power forward, Georgetown. Brooks Barnhizer, wing, Northwestern. Sorber’s natural strength and long arms make him an effective rebounder and shot-blocker who can also finish at the rim with the ball. Barnhizer was the first player drafted out of Northwestern since Evan Eschmeyer in 1999.

Current NBA player comparison: Kevon Looney.

Needs: Pass-first point guard, center with scoring touch.

Drafted: Joan Beringer, power forward, France. Rocco Zikarsky, center, Australia. The 6-foot-11 Beringer just picked up the game four years ago after switching from soccer and will have an ideal mentor in Rudy Gobert.

Current NBA player comparison: Jaxson Hayes.

Needs: 3-point shooter, perimeter depth.

Drafted: Yang Hansen, center, China. Somewhat of a surprise at No. 16 overall for a team that already has plenty of size, the 19-year-old Hansen at 7-foot-1 led the Chinese Basketball Association in blocks.

Current NBA player comparison: Zach Edey.

The Nuggets didn't have a pick in this draft, with their first-rounder owed to Orlando as part of the 2021 trade for Aaron Gordon.

The Nuggets, who recently reorganized their front office, could use more depth around superstar Nikola Jokic, point guard Jamal Murray and the postseason hero Gordon. They’re counting on a contribution this season from DaRon Holmes, their 2024 first-rounder who missed his rookie year following Achilles tendon surgery.

AP Sports Writers Cliff Brunt in Oklahoma City and Anne M. Peterson in Portland, Oregon, contributed to this report.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Joan Beringer, left, reacts after being selected 17th by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Ace Bailey poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected fifth by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Ace Bailey reacts after being selected fifth by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Thomas Sorber reacts as he walks off the stage after being selected 15th by the Oklahoma City Thunderin the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing three tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

It's also part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, is currently set to occur behind closed doors, according to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)