The Minnesota Timberwolves have been trying to sculpt a team centered on Anthony Edwards for several years. With every offseason, the team gets a new puzzle and by spring-time, the answer always seems to be just out of reach.
This season’s offseason kicked off early, and unfortunately, not with the kind of news that Wolves fans desire. One change has already happened that has even those close to the franchise whispering about Ant’s potential departure from Minnesota.
The Wolves traded Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets on the eve of the NBA Draft, part of a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls. Minnesota gave up Randle and the No. 28 pick, getting back only Brooklyn’s No. 33 second-round pick.
That freed up around $33 million, which went straight toward re-signing Ayo Dosunmu on a five-year, $112 million deal. It was a salary dump, and now people around the league are starting to talk about what it means for Ant.
What Brian Windhorst and Tim McMahon Said About Anthony Edwards
GettyWorrying Anthony Edwards Trade Rumors Emerge After Timberwolves’ Latest Move
ESPN’s Tim McMahon and Brian Windhorst discussed the move on the Hoop Collective podcast (35:00), and McMahon got right to it. He said the timing, happening right as the Giannis trade went down, has the rest of the NBA zeroing in on Ant.
“The NBA vultures are swirling around Ant in anticipation of him potentially becoming the next superstar who’s available in the trade market,” McMahon said. “If you were to say, who’s next after Giannis, we would have said Ant, and this trade happened the exact same time as the Giannis trade.”
Windhorst added that Ant’s frustration did not start with this trade. It goes back further, all the way to when Karl-Anthony Towns was dealt to the Knicks.
“Ant was really frustrated throughout, really just been frustrated since Towns got traded at how he gets double-teamed,” Windhorst said. He noted the Wolves needed to fix that double-team problem this offseason, but instead it opened with a salary dump.
“I don’t think Ant was the biggest Julius Randle fan,” Windhorst added. “But it’s not so much Randle being traded, it’s Randle being traded in a salary dump.”
Anthony Edwards Trade Rumors and the Timberwolves’ Title Window
GettyAnthony Edwards Trade Speculation Takes Worrying Turn After Timberwolves Move
This is not just podcast chatter. Wolves insider Darren Wolfson had already said on the Flagrant Howls podcast that keeping Ant happy has become the organization’s biggest priority behind the scenes.
“The fear is, that at some point, does Ant, through his representation, signal a desire to be elsewhere? We are nowhere near that point, but the fear is there,” Wolfson said.
Edwards put up a career-best 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists this past regular season on 48.9% shooting. The production is not the issue. The roster around him is.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already has a title to his name. Wembanyama at 22 years old is already deep in the playoffs. Tatum and Brown have championship rings. Ant is seeing his peers winning while Minnesota keeps coming short.
The Wolves are gambling on Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels raising their games enough to replace Randle. If that gamble fails, the Edwards talk will surely get more intense come next year.
Latest Report: Timberwolves Hit With Worrying Anthony Edwards Trade Speculation