Rocco Zikarsky Injury News & Updates

Zikarsky (face) is available for Wednesday's season opener against Portland.

Minnesota included Zikarsky on the injury report because he'll be wearing a face mask Wednesday. The two-way player is behind Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid and Joan Beringer on the depth chart at center, so Zikarsky likely won't take the court against the Trail Blazers.

Zikarsky totaled 16 points (6-7 FG, 4-6 FT), three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block across 26 minutes during Monday night's 134-74 preseason win over the Guangzhou Loong-Lions.

This was quite the outburst from Zikarsky, who was held to only two points in 14 minutes during his club's previous exhibition against the Knicks on Thursday. He's unlikely to have much of a fantasy impact heading into the 2025-26 regular season considering he's behind Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid and Joan Beringer on the depth chart, likely opening up the door for plenty of minutes in the G League.

Zikarsky was selected by the Bulls with the No. 45 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Bulls then traded his rights to the Timberwolves.

A 7-foot-3 center with a 9-foot-7 standing reach, Zikarsky offers tremendous potential as a rim protector. The 18-year-old from Australia possesses good mobility for his size and is a strong finisher, but a lack of lateral speed and an unreliable outside shot could prevent him from emerging as a starter at the NBA level. With Rudy Gobert on the books for at least two more seasons and with the Timberwolves investing a first-round pick in another center in Joan Beringer, Zikarsky won't be needed to contribute right away. According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com, Zikarsky will sign a two-year, two-way deal with Minnesota, meaning that he'll likely see most of his playing time over the next two seasons in the G League with the Iowa Wolves.