Anthony Edwards: knee report, age and career

On 27 October 2026, the NBA.com player profile reported, citing ESPN's Shams Charania, that Anthony Edwards was set to have arthroscopic right knee surgery and could miss up to two months [1]. Basketball-Reference carries the same report [6]. Earlier that day the profile had listed him as questionable for the Wednesday game against the Golden State Warriors [1].

That is the latest step in a knee story that began in the spring. The dated reports below run from the April playoff game to the surgery notice.

The No. 1 pick in 2020

Minnesota took Edwards first overall in the 2020 NBA draft [2] [1]. He had stayed in his home state to attend the University of Georgia [2]. The NBA.com biography says he was voted SEC Freshman of the Year by league coaches and that he signed a multi-year contract with the Wolves on 29 November 2020 [7].

Draft writers were divided. CBS Sports called shooting guard his natural position and wrote that "his best trait by far is his overall scoring" [2]. The same piece called him "a sophisticated individual shot-creator for his age that gets to the basket and thrives in transition" [2]. It also said "He was not a great college player" and that Edwards "has been criticized for his inconsistent motor" [2].

His listed size also differs between sources. The draft-night write-up gave him 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, while the NBA.com profile and Basketball-Reference both list 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) [2] [1] [6]. This page follows the official listing.

Edwards grew up in Atlanta. WSB-TV reported that he attended Therrell High School before transferring to Holy Spirit Prep, and that he grew up in the Oakland City community [5].

Scoring up, season by season

As a rookie in 2020-21, Edwards averaged 19.3 points in 72 games [6]. His scoring rose almost every year after that: 21.3 points in 2021-22, 24.6 in 2022-23, 25.9 in 2023-24, 27.6 in 2024-25 and 28.8 in 2025-26, when he played 61 games [6].

Rebounds stayed between 4.7 and 5.8 a game across those seasons, and assists rose from 2.9 in 2020-21 to a peak of 5.1 in 2023-24 [6].

Early 2026-27 season

Four games into 2026-27 he was averaging 33.3 points [6]. The NBA.com game log shows 45 points at Miami on 21 October, 15 at Orlando on 23 October, 26 against Toronto on 25 October, and 47 points in 41 minutes at Cleveland on 26 October, a loss [1].

Honors and the Paris Olympics

The NBA.com profile lists four All-Star selections, one All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award, two All-NBA selections, one All-Rookie Team selection, three Player of the Week awards and one Olympic gold medal [1]. Basketball-Reference dates most of them: All-Star selections in 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26, the All-Star Game MVP in 2025-26, All-NBA in 2023-24 and 2024-25, and All-Rookie in 2020-21 [6]. The NBA.com biography dates his first Player of the Week award to 13 November 2023 [7].

On 15 February 2026 Edwards won the All-Star Game MVP, the first of his career. FOX 9 reported that he received 10 of the 14 votes, after scoring 32 points with nine rebounds, three assists and six three-pointers in 24 minutes [8].

In April 2024 FOX 9 reported that Edwards was among 11 players selected for the United States roster for the Paris Olympics, with one spot still open [9]. WSB-TV listed Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard among the teammates, with Steve Kerr as coach [5]. The NBA.com biography records the team's 17th overall, and fifth straight, Olympic gold medal [7].

Contract and the 2023 extension

On 3 July 2023 CBS News Minnesota reported, citing The Athletic, that Edwards had agreed to a five-year deal worth $260 million, starting with the 2024-25 season [10]. Agent Bill Duffy told the Associated Press that the base value was $207 million, with a chance to reach $260 million [10]. The deal would reach supermax level if he made an All-NBA team [10]. The NBA.com biography dates the extension to 8 July 2023 [7].

Playing style in his coach's words

Chris Finch has praised Edwards's decision-making and questioned how he was used. In a December 2024 review of late-game decisions, Finch said "we felt that he has made the right play 80 percent of the time, which is great," and that "if you go back a year or so ago, that was probably in the 50 percent range" [11].

In August 2026 Finch said "we probably did Anthony a disservice last year, at times, playing him as a point guard," and that "we got to get him back to his natural position off the ball" [12]. He added that in the playoffs "it was just double team after double team" [12].

The 2024 Timberwolves reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2004 [13].

The knee, from spring to October

The first report came in April. On 26 April 2026 the Associated Press reported, citing an anonymous source with knowledge of the situation, that Edwards had a bone bruise and had hyperextended his left knee in Game 4 of the first-round series against Denver [3]. The AP story said the knee "remained structurally intact" and that he "is likely to miss multiple weeks" [3]. Roundtable later reported that the team called him week-to-week for that game [4]. AP reported that ESPN and The Athletic first reported the diagnosis [3].

The second came in October. On 4 October 2026 Roundtable reported that Edwards had taken roughly two months away from basketball over the summer so his knee could heal, and that the treatment he received got him "back to where he wanted to be" [4]. The article does not name the treatment. It says he now feels great [4].

In late October the NBA.com profile first listed him as questionable for the game at Cleveland on 26 October, then upgraded him to available that evening [1]. He played and scored 47 points [1]. On 27 October the profile listed him as questionable for Wednesday's game against Golden State and carried the surgery report [1]. Basketball-Reference, which dates its note to 28 October, carries the same report [6].

The October 27 notice names the right knee, while the April reports named the left. The sources we opened do not explain the difference, so this page does not reconcile them [1] [3].