Anthony Edwards is not known to have requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the question has resurfaced after Minnesota made a major roster move by trading Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets. The Randle deal, which also helped the Wolves create room to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu, has turned a practical roster reset into a bigger fan question: could Edwards eventually be next?
For now, one of the top reporters covering the team is pushing back on that idea.
Chris Hine of the Minnesota Star Tribune addressed the growing Edwards trade chatter on X, writing that he has “seen a lot” of discussion about whether Edwards could be the next star to ask out. Hine’s read, based on conversations with people around the situation, was that Edwards “still very much loves it in Minnesota” and that the people around him view his current setup with the Timberwolves as “a great situation.”
Hine added one important qualifier: Edwards “obviously wants to keep competing at a high level.” But his bottom-line message was direct.
“I wouldn’t be smashing the panic button on that topic right now, even if people around the league may think it’s true,” Hine wrote.
That matters because “Anthony Edwards trade” has become a real search topic, not just idle message-board noise. Edwards is the face of the Timberwolves, one of the NBA’s most marketable young stars and the player Minnesota has built around since taking him No. 1 overall in 2020. He is also still only 24.
Key Points
- Anthony Edwards has not requested a trade from the Timberwolves.
- Chris Hine reported Edwards still views Minnesota as a strong situation.
- The speculation increased after the Julius Randle trade, but the move appears more like a roster reset around Edwards.
Anthony Edwards Trade Chatter Follows Julius Randle Deal
The Edwards speculation is not coming out of nowhere. It picked up after the Timberwolves traded Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team deal that also involved the Chicago Bulls. According to Hine, Minnesota sent Randle and the No. 28 pick to Brooklyn, received the No. 33 pick and Mouhamadou Gueye, and planned to waive Gueye after the trade could be completed July 6. The move cleared Randle’s remaining money and helped the Wolves re-sign Ayo Dosunmu.
That context matters because the Randle trade was not Minnesota tearing everything down around Edwards. It was closer to the opposite: a financial and roster-shape move designed to keep building a cleaner version of the team around him.
Edwards is playing on a five-year designated rookie extension with the Timberwolves worth $244.6 million, according to Spotrac. The deal is fully guaranteed, carries an average annual salary of $48.9 million and runs through the 2028-29 season.
That contract does not make Edwards untradeable in a technical sense. NBA stars on massive deals can and do get moved when relationships break down or a franchise decides it has no other choice.
Why the Julius Randle Trade Sparked Anthony Edwards Speculation
The Edwards speculation is not coming out of nowhere. It is happening because star-player movement has become part of the NBA offseason ecosystem, and the Timberwolves are at a complicated point in their build.
Minnesota has been good enough to create real expectations but not yet good enough to break through. The Wolves were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the 2026 playoffs, just a season after making the Western Conference finals.
That is the kind of ending that creates questions. Is the roster around Edwards good enough? Does Minnesota need another shot creator? How aggressive should the front office be with expensive veterans? How long does a young superstar stay patient if the team keeps falling short?
Those are fair basketball questions. They are different from saying Edwards is getting traded.
What Timberwolves Fans Should Watch Next
The next meaningful signal is not whether rival teams would love to trade for Edwards. Of course they would. Nearly every franchise in the league would want a 24-year-old star guard locked into a long-term deal.
The real signals are whether Edwards publicly changes his tone, whether his representation applies pressure behind the scenes, or whether Minnesota’s front office makes moves that suggest a reset deeper than a normal retool.
For now, Hine’s reporting points in the other direction. Edwards still likes Minnesota, people close to him still view the Wolves as a strong situation, and the concern is more about winning at a high level than escaping the franchise.
Anthony Edwards Trade Rumors Get Pushback From Timberwolves Insider