Anthony Edwards’ Injury Could Impact Timberwolves’ Future in Multiple Ways

The Minnesota Timberwolves looked primed for an incredible season after a near-perfect opening week. The Timberwolves won their first three games by over 20 points, newcomers LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga performed up to the loftiest of expectations, and Anthony Edwards appeared ready for a career season.

All of that hit a major speed bump on Tuesday night when it was announced that Edwards will need an arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will miss multiple months.

Just in: Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his ailing right knee and miss up to two months, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/HenrAY2APs
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 27, 2026

The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski reported that Edwards will get the surgery on Thursday, following which the Wolves will have a better idea of the return timetable, but the current expectation is that Edwards will be out for more than two months.

Edwards' injury will impact the Timberwolves in many ways. It changes how the next few offseasons will play out, while putting a monkey wrench into a season that, albeit briefly, looked incredibly promising.

Long-term: Anthony Edwards will not be eligible for a supermax contract

Edwards will now almost certainly be out for enough games to be ineligible for All-NBA due to the 65-game rule. On the surface, that may seem like an inconsequential effect of this news, but combined with him missing out similarly last year, Edwards' knee issues have greatly changed his earning potential.

If Edwards had made All-NBA either last season or this season, he would have been eligible to sign a four-year, 35 percent of the salary cap supermax contract extension totaling an estimated $306 million that would have kept Edwards in Minnesota through the 2032-33 season.

There would have been some negotiating on whether or not Edwards would receive a player option in the final season, but the Wolves and Edwards very likely would have quickly agreed to the extension given the benefits for both sides.

Now, Edwards is incentivized to wait before signing any contract extension. The Wolves currently can only offer Edwards an extension beginning at 30 percent of the salary cap. If Edwards makes any of the All-NBA teams next season, he will become supermax-eligible during the 2028 offseason.

At that point, the Wolves could give Edwards a five-year extension at the 35 percent max, worth nearly $400 million. Again, there could be some negotiating, as the Wolves could ask Edwards to take a small pay cut, but the moment Edwards becomes eligible for the supermax, it becomes significantly easier for the Wolves to lock down their franchise on a long-term deal.

The Wolves do still have options to sign Edwards to an extension this offseason. They could ask Edwards to take a Jalen Brunson-style deal where they extend this offseason for the max allowed—a four-year deal starting at 30 percent of the salary cap—but less than what he could potentially earn once eligible for the supermax.

The Timberwolves could also give Edwards a one-year extension, as they did with Jaden McDaniels. This would give the Wolves another guaranteed year with their best player while giving Edwards additional avenues to receive the supermax down the line.

With that added year, Edwards could be eligible for the supermax during the 2029 offseason if he makes All-NBA during the 2028-29 season or if he wins MVP at any point between now and then. Edwards could also sign a supermax with Minnesota after reaching free agency in the 2030 offseason, regardless of end-of-season awards.

Whatever happens moving forward, Edwards' right knee injury has made it much more complicated for the Timberwolves to re-sign him past the three years he currently has left. It is still unlikely to end up in the worst-case scenario that fans fear, but the most straightforward option of giving Edwards the supermax this summer is now off the board.

Short-term: Rest of the roster will need to step up

Before the Timberwolves can even begin to think about contracts and the salary cap, they will need to find a way to win games while Edwards is out recovering.

Losing Edwards is a massive blow, but the Wolves are as well-equipped to cover for the loss of their superstar as any team in the NBA. They have another high-usage guard in LaMelo Ball, a sixth man in Ayo Dosunmu who will slide into the starting lineup seamlessly, and bench depth that often thrives with more on-ball opportunities.

The main player the Wolves will rely on these next couple of months without Edwards is Jaden McDaniels. The newly extended forward appeared ready for a leap during the preseason and has only built on that early in the regular season.

For the Wolves to keep pace at the top of the Western Conference, it will require McDaniels to play at an All-Star level. Kuminga, Dosunmu, and others will likely take on a larger share of the on-ball defensive duties, which should allow McDaniels to maximize his ever-growing offensive game.

The goal for the Timberwolves for the rest of the regular season is no longer to maximize every single win. The main intention will be to continue integrating their new players, figure out which lineups work best with each other, and find which young players can contribute past their current level.

When Edwards and potentially Donte DiVincenzo return, the Wolves can continue building their on-court chemistry for a team with championship aspirations. Until then, the Wolves will rely on the rest of their roster to keep the season alive.

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