The Minnesota Timberwolves spent the entire offseason trying to build around Anthony Edwards after continuing to fall short of the NBA Finals. With a superstar like Edwards, the organization was tired of coming up short.
That is why they brought in players like Jonathan Kuminga and LaMelo Ball. However, with the season underway, Edwards is set to miss the next couple of months.
“Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his ailing right knee Thursday that will sideline him for up to two months, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania,” ESPN’s Jamal Collier wrote.
This is a major blow for the Timberwolves, as Edwards is the face of the franchise. Minnesota president of basketball operations Tim Connelly provided more insight into why the team chose to address Edwards’ knee now.
“He’s going to go through and arthroscopic procedure in the next 24 hours. We’re constantly updating his imaging, his imaging from yesterday, showed an issue that we want to get addressed quickly. Our only concern is his long-term health,” Connelly said.
This move is intended to protect Edwards’ long-term health and give him a better chance of being fully healthy toward the end of the season rather than having to undergo surgery then. However, missing at least the next two months could come with a $304 million cost.
“And so, he came into this season needing an MVP or an All-NBA or Defensive Player of the Year award to trigger the ability for the Timberwolves to offer a supermax extension, which would have been a four-year deal in the area of $304 million that would have started in 2029-30 and extended his contract from there. Because he will not meet the games threshold to qualify for that, he could still sign an extension for less money than that,” The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski said.
This makes things interesting for Edwards’ future contract, as he is unlikely to reach the 65-game threshold required for those awards to qualify him for a supermax extension. It would take a miraculous comeback, and the Timberwolves organization is unlikely to rush him back from the injury.
It is an unfortunate situation for Edwards, especially considering his desire to play through the injury. However, the situation could get even worse if he does not properly address the issue, making surgery the right decision. His next contract will still be hefty, but it will not be $304 million hefty.
