Recently, it was announced that Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is gracing the NBA 2K26 cover. This is a deserving honor for SGA after he won the MVP, Finals MVP, and scoring title. Nevertheless, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards feels primed to be on a 2K cover sooner rather than later. Let’s dive into why Edwards is the ideal 2K cover athlete and why he will likely be on the cover of 2K27.
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Anthony Edwards would be the perfect 2K cover athlete
Many players who are within a similar range to Edwards have been 2K cover athletes, including Luka Dončić, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, and now SGA. Furthermore, 2K cover athletes are typically younger and highly marketable players. Edwards will be 25 before the start of the 2026-27 season. This, paired with Edwards’ entertaining playstyle and personality, makes him perfectly suited to be a 2K cover athlete.
Outside of Nikola Jokić (who likely doesn’t want to be on the 2K cover), Edwards has a strong case as the best active player to not appear on a 2K cover. This past season, Edwards averaged 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on 44.7/39.5/83.7 shooting splits. He also led the Wolves to their second straight Western Conference Finals. If Edwards can lead the Wolves to break through and make the NBA Finals, it feels all but guaranteed that he will grace the 2K27 cover.
At 24, before the start of this upcoming season, it’s even possible that Edwards takes another leap. Playmaking and developing a more consistent mid-range game are two areas of improvement for Ant. He is already a top-five player in the eyes of many. However, after this upcoming season is complete, he will likely be a consensus top-five player and perhaps even rank close to three or four.
Even if Edwards doesn’t make a massive jump and simply continues his elite level of play, a 2K cover feels like an appropriate honor. Additionally, outside of perhaps Victor Wembanyama or Jokić (if he'd be open to being on the cover), there aren't many logical candidates to be the cover athlete who hasn't already done so.
If it wasn’t for SGA this year, Edwards would have been the clear candidate to grace the 2K26 cover. As mentioned earlier, Edwards checks all the boxes of a 2K cover athlete and is one of the most accomplished players who has yet to receive this honor. Ultimately, all signs point to Edwards being on the NBA 2K27 cover.