9:38 p.m.: Edwards will have surgery on Thursday and the club will have a clearer timeline for his recovery, Krawczynski tweets. At this point, it’s expected to be more than two months, meaning he likely won’t play until January. 5:51 p.m.: Timberwolves star guard Anthony Edwards will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee and will miss up to two months, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). As Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated points out (Twitter link), it’s been a brutal opening week in terms of player health. Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero, Kawhi Leonard, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cason Wallace and Jalen Suggs are among the players sidelined by injuries that will require absences of several weeks or several months and now Edwards has joined that group. Edwards has been dealing with knee pain and the club decided to address the issue as soon as possible in the hopes that he will return in December and return to full health for the remainder of the season, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski tweets. Despite the ailment, Edwards is off to a spectacular start, averaging 33.3 points per game, including a 47-point outburst in an overtime loss to Cleveland on Monday. In a story published before surgery, Krawczynski noted that while his shots were falling, Edwards didn’t have his usual momentum and occasionally walked with a limp. He was not cleared to play against the Cavs until after pregame warmups and had been listed as questionable to suit up Wednesday against Golden State. Edwards dealt with a hyperextended left knee in the playoffs last season and was also bothered by inflammation in his right knee, Krawcyznski added. During his first five NBA seasons, Edwards never appeared in fewer than 72 games. He saw action in 79 games over three consecutive seasons until 2025/26, when he was limited to 61 regular season appearances, mainly due to a foot injury. With Edwards sidelined, new defensive partner LaMelo Ball will no doubt try to take on more scoring responsibility. Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Isaiah Evans will see their playing time increase as Minnesota tries to survive without its franchise player.
