Back Already? Anthony Edwards 'Pushing to Play' in Game 1 vs. Spurs

Edwards, who is listed as questionable, reportedly wants to play on Monday night.

Apr 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) warms up before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Target Center. | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Are we sure this guy is human?

Timberwolves superstar guard Anthony Edwards, who is listed as questionable for Monday night's Game 1 of the second round in San Antonio, participated in Minnesota's shootaround and wants to play this evening, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania.

"Minnesota's Anthony Edwards was a significant participant in Timberwolves shootaround this morning and wants to return in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell ESPN," Charania tweeted. "Edwards is pushing to play, but he and the team's medical staff will make a decision later today."

It's been nine days since Edwards suffered a hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee on an awkward landing in Game 4 of the first round against the Nuggets. The initial reports were that Edwards would be out multiple weeks, which created some doubt that he'd be able to return for a second-round series if the Wolves were able to close out Denver (which they did last Thursday).

At first, the hope among Timberwolves fans was that Ant might be able to play against the Spurs if the Wolves could get the series to a fifth or sixth game. Recently, optimism has grown that Edwards could return as soon as Game 3 or Game 4 in Minneapolis, with a video from his personal YouTube channel stating that "Antman is Coming..."

Now there appears to be a legitimate chance that Edwards could suit up for the opening game of this second-round series, having missed just two full games. He's been seen by reporters getting shots up at Timberwolves practices over the weekend and was cleared for on-court basketball activities on Sunday, which is also when he was officially listed as questionable for Game 1.

The 24-year-old Edwards, who is in his sixth NBA season, has a reputation for coming back from injuries almost impossibly quickly. There have been numerous instances over the years where he's been involved in a serious-looking injury scare, only to shake it off and keep playing.

The question Edwards and the Timberwolves' medical staff have to weigh is whether Ant playing in Game 1 is the right call. As impressive as it would be to see him active, that should probably only happen if he's truly healthy enough to be himself on the court.

"It's a collective decision from the athlete, medical, performance, and coaching," said David Hines, the Wolves' vice president of medical and performance, in the YouTube video (presumably recorded shortly after the initial injury). "How does Ant look, and then obviously, how is he feeling within these next couple of weeks? I think he can return sooner if he can hit all of his metrics for pain management, his mobility, his functional strength, how he looks on the court. Everything is in place for him to follow our order. And if he's feeling better sooner, and he can turn the corner sooner, then obviously you'll see Ant return on the court sooner."

Edwards beating the timelines and suiting up on Monday night would be stunning — though maybe it shouldn't be, considering his history. We won't officially know if that's happening until closer to 8:30 p.m. central time tonight.