After the Minnesota Timberwolves salary-dumped Julius Randle, folks started questioning Anthony Edwards' future in Minnesota. This was largely due to Brian Windhorst saying that Ant has been frustrated with the amount of double-teams he's received since Karl-Anthony Towns got traded. Tim MacMahon also noted that the NBA vultures are swirling around Edwards.Â
What gets lost is that while Edwards can be frustrated about coverages, it doesn't mean that he is the next star to ask out, as folks on social media assume. Thankfully, The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski cleared the air and isn't frustrated with the Wolves organization.
"Yes, Ant was frustrated by how last season ended. But he has also already won a lot here and believes in his teammates and the org to keep upgrading. He's under contract for 3 more years. Orgs are always on the clock with star players, but Wolves have time here," Krawczynski wrote on Twitter.Â
Amen, Jon, amen. Listen, the Wolves organization has some questions to answer and they have been anything but perfect since 2024. Additionally, the Wolves have obviously yet to reach their ultimate goal of a championship, which I'm sure is frustrating to a fierce competitor like Ant. Catching up to the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder will be tricky and by not getting much value back for Randle, doing so will be even more challenging.Â
However, the bigger picture is that Edwards has enjoyed a considerable amount of success before turning 25.
The Timberwolves remain a good basketball situation for Edwards
Appearing in two conference finals and winning three straight first-round series is nothing to scoff at. And while the Wolves might still need to improve, this is far from a bad basketball situation. With Jaden McDaniels, Ayo Dosunmu, Naz Reid and Joan Beringer, Ant has four players 26 and under who complement his game nicely (though Beringer still has plenty to prove). Â
The Wolves could reach another level with internal development from this young core. It's a risky proposition, but it's possible and Edwards believes in the duo of McDaniels and Reid a ton.
Plus, there's always the possibility of them trading Rudy Gobert for a guard, whether that be a star-caliber player or a high-end role player. Reporting from The Stein Line indicates that the Wolves aren't keen on trading Gobert.Â
Still, the Wolves could feasibly change that stance if it helps them upgrade their roster. It's also worth noting that following the Randle trade, they could now be more active on the free agent market.Â
Point being: Minnesota's roster likely isn't a finished product. As Krawczynski said, when you have a star like Ant, there's always going to be pressure to win, but the Wolves aren't near the breaking point yet.
It's natural for people to speculate about the future of a small market star. But let's pump the brakes a little bit. We aren't near the point where Ant's future with Minnesota is in doubt. The success he's had thus far with the Wolves is undeniable.Â
Now, if the Wolves don't upgrade their roster and next season they take a massive step back, then fine, we can have some more discussions about their future. Regardless, we must cross that bridge if we get there and something tells me the Wolves will improve the roster around Ant-Man.Â
It's easy to overreact, but let's take a deep breath and trust what Jon K has to say.Â
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