Is Minnesota Timberwolves extension for Anthony Edwards that obvious?

The Minnesota Timberwolves are not a collection of seasoned NBA veterans on some ‘last hurrah,’ quest to do or die in the quest of vying for an NBA Championship before they can no longer compete. Yes, the Timberwolves have some veterans who could fit that description in All-Star center Rudy Gobert and power forward Karl-Anthony Towns. But this team also has a younger track, a yet-to-peak enclave of young NBA starts who are already coming into their own.

And atop that list is shooting guard Anthony Edwards.

Right now, the young star is eligible for a max contract, which would be in the ballpark of a five-year $204 million contract extension that would kick in during the 2024-25 NBA season as discussed below:

But how does that all fit into the budget for the Minnesota Timberwolves? Well, the magic of NBA salary caps will always be a topic I turn to Minnesota Timberwolves Zone Coverage writer, Dane Moore.  The Timberwolves’ decision to trade away veteran PG D’Angelo Moore at the NBA Trade Deadline and add Mike Conley Jr. in that exchange has maintained some salary versatility for the team. Here is Moore again, breaking it all down for you:

In the end, the team will be a bit snug as there will be three players with maximum long-term deals. But it’s something that the Minnesota Timberwolves front office knew was coming as soon as the team acquired Rudy Gobert.

Anthony Edwards will get paid. I am almost 100 percent certain of it. In doing so, the Minnesota Timberwolves will also lock up what could be described as their fail-safe. If the team falls short of the mark with the Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert experiment, the team is already set to start over and build a new young core around Anthony Edwards.

And from the way he is showing up big this season, he will be up to that challenge.