Timberwolves Face Two Months Without Anthony Edwards After Knee Surgery Decision

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is expected to be out for as long as two months while he recovers from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The surgery is set for Thursday, and The Athletic reports the team is aiming for a return in December.

The news arrives less than 24 hours after Edwards scored 47 points in an overtime loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. Rather than have him keep playing on the damaged knee, the Timberwolves chose to deal with the problem early in the season. Edwards had been listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Golden State Warriors with "right knee injury maintenance" before being downgraded to out.

It is the same knee that bothered him last season. Edwards was seen grabbing at it during Sunday's win over the Toronto Raptors. Last year he missed the final game of Minnesota's first-round playoff win over the Denver Nuggets with a hyperextension of that knee, then came off the bench for Game 1 of the conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs. The Athletic noted he received around-the-clock treatment and had the knee drained several times to stay available, and that he said in the preseason he took most of two months off to let both knees heal.

The Timberwolves are 3-1 and had looked like one of the league's top teams, powered by Edwards and LaMelo Ball, who arrived from the Charlotte Hornets in a June blockbuster trade. Edwards is averaging 33.3 points per game and leads the league with 18 3-pointers at a 40% rate, including games of 45 and 47 points.

Minnesota's best path through a deep Western Conference is likely for Ball to take on more of the scoring. Edwards is a two-way player, and his absence will test the team's second-ranked defense, though more structure exists on that end. On offense, early data is concerning: according to Cleaning the Glass, the Wolves have played at a rate that would rank in the bottom 10 over 74 non-garbage-time possessions with Ball on the floor and Edwards off it. Ball averaged more than 20 points per game last year with the Hornets but is at 14.8 so far, partly because Edwards has dominated the offense.

Others will need to contribute. Donte DiVincenzo is rehabbing a torn Achilles, but Terrence Shannon Jr. has started the season strongly, Jonathan Kuminga has a chance to boost his case for a long-term contract, and Ayo Dosunmu is a double-digit scorer and 3-point shooter who can improve.

The biggest factor may be Jaden McDaniels. He is on a five-year, $136 million contract, and Minnesota just signed him to a one-year, $40 million extension that sets his base figure for another possible extension in 2028. He is averaging 15 points per game on 59% shooting and is making 42% of his 3-pointers. With a likely bump in usage and Ball's ability to lift teammates' shooting, he could climb past 20 points per game and pursue an All-Star spot. Last year he scored 32 points with 10 rebounds in Game 6 against Denver without Edwards.

The schedule offers some help. Before Christmas, the Wolves face only six games against top-tier opponents: the Spurs, Rockets, Knicks, Thunder, and the Lakers twice. They will have little room for error against teams such as Portland and Memphis, but 16 of their next 26 games are at home, including an eight-game homestand in November.