If you're not a die-hard Minnesota Timberwolves fan, you probably don't know a lot about Jesse Edwards. But after one season in the Twin Cities, the young big man has officially departed the NBA and is now signed to Melbourne United, a team in Australia's National Basketball League.
Jesse played just one season with the Wolves in 2024-25, and he saw game action in only two contests in the regular season. He spent a good bit more time in the G League beyond that.
But as for his time in the big league, Edwards only logged only four minutes and forty seconds (4:40) of total playing time in two regular season games. He unfortunately didn't make a meaningful impact on last year's iteration of the Timberwolves, but that doesn't mean his journey is over. Really, it's only beginning.
Melbourne United's head coach seems to be pretty excited about bringing on Jesse. "We wanted to bring in someone that was an elite rim protector, which Jesse has been across his college and pro career so far,” head coach Dean Vickerman said after the team signed Edwards.
“We think he’s got great length, really good timing and elite defensive instincts. He’s also got the mobility to get out and play with pace, which really suits what we’re wanting to do this year.”
Jesse Edwards took Melbourne United's last roster spot
This seems like a great fit for the young big. And in thinking about the next step of Edwards' journey, we have to remember that not every player who performed well in college and was a candidate for the NBA is going to make it there and stay there as well. That's just the reality of the situation. But that doesn't mean those players are subpar.
We should consider that the NBA is far and away the greatest basketball league in the world. If someone can't make it in the NBA, I don't really see how that's supposed to be making some statement about them being an inadequate player. Do you know what percentage of basketball players of all levels everywhere make it to the NBA and remain there for many years? It's an extremely tiny, miniscule, impossibly small number.
So with that in mind, there's zero shame in Edwards going overseas to play in Australia. At the end of the day, he's still earning a living to play the sport, and probably a pretty decent one too. There are far worse places to be in life than living in a place like southern Australia and getting to play hoops for a living.
Think about all the players in the United States that have been forced to give up their playing careers after high school, after college, and after short stints as professionals. The guys who fit into that category represent the overwhelming majority. And that's not even thinking about all the international players around the world.
Overall, it was probably in the Timberwolves' best interest to not sign Jesse Edwards. He wasn't going to realistically elevate this group with his play. But make no mistake about it: he's still in a more than okay situation.