Anthony Edwards is out for roughly two months (possibly even longer) due to an arthroscopic procedure on his knee, which is brutal news. Amid these short-term concerns about how this affects Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the long-term impact has to be considered. Sadly, there's some real risk with this surgery.
Look, I'm not a doctor or a medical professional. Brian Sutterer is, though. If you don't know, Sutterer is a sports medicine doctor and content creator.
Shortly after Edwards' injury, he made a concerning video about what this means. Sutterer openly expressed his concern about the long-term impact of this surgery. He explained that this likely stems from a cartilage or meniscus issue. More concerningly, he noted that this procedure often comes with short-term improvement at the expense of long-term issues, and this could lead to future procedures. He also noted that Joel Embiid has had similar problems—Kawhi Leonard also had this procedure. Furthermore, he noted that 49 percent of the time, players who have this procedure develop another knee injury within two years.
Nobody wants to hear these comments.
Anthony Edwards' arthroscopic procedure could negatively impact his career
Now, there are some reasons for optimism—Sutterer listed Russell Westbrook as a positive outcome. Karl-Anthony Towns also had this procedure in 2024, and he returned in full form, helping the Wolves go on a conference finals run, and he's since had two more deep playoff runs.
Given his elite 3-point shooting and shot-making, Edwards has the skill set to make an impact after this injury. Ant has also routinely exceeded his original timeline of various injuries throughout his career. As such, there's a path where this injury is just a bump in the road.
There's no doubt that it's concerning, though. This also marks Edwards' third knee injury since March, which adds to the concern. And while his shot-making will likely remain the same, it's possible that this surgery affects his burst.
Edwards was great to start the season. He was averaging 33.3 points through four games, but his burst wasn't the same. Still, Ant's athleticism and burst have been central to his impact throughout his career. Unfortunately, he may never be the same athlete that he was before, and at 25, that's brutal.
To be clear, I have confidence that Edwards will still be a top-10 player when he returns. His shot-making is that good. Regardless, he might fully lean into his perimeter game. A Kawhi-like outcome is pretty concerning, though.
Whenever Leonard is on the court, he plays at a top-10 level. The question always is: How many games will Leonard play? Unfortunately, he has often been sidelined too much for his team to win at the highest level. Needless to say, if Edwards has recurring knee injuries, that makes it harder for the Wolves to win a title.
I'm not saying that this injury makes Edwards' career outlook and the Timberwolves' future doomed. However, the impact of his injury goes beyond the next few months, and it's hard not to have any concerns after hearing Sutterer's breakdown.
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