Anthony Edwards knee injury: how his recovery went and where he stands now

Anthony Edwards hurt his left knee in the first half of Game 4 of the Minnesota Timberwolves' first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets in April 2026. He was contesting a layup by Cam Johnson when his left leg buckled on landing, according to the Associated Press [1]. The injury was a bone bruise and a hyperextension of the knee [2]. The AP reported that the knee remained structurally intact [1].

What happened in Game 4

Minnesota won that game 112-96. The win gave it a 3-1 lead in the series [1]. Teammate Donte DiVincenzo tore his Achilles tendon in the same game and had surgery in New York. The AP said his 2026-27 season was in "great jeopardy" [1]. Forward Julius Randle said he had simply "dapped him up" and that there is not much to say in moments like that [1].

When the AP reported the injury, the team had not announced details or a timeline. An unnamed person with knowledge of the situation told the AP that Edwards was likely to miss multiple weeks [1]. Roundtable later wrote that the team listed him as "week-to-week," meaning it would reassess him from one week to the next [2]. The two descriptions differ, and no return date was given at the time.

The season before the break

Edwards played 61 games, the fewest of his career. A hamstring injury early in the season and knee trouble late in it kept him out of the lineup [2]. By late April he had already missed 21 games, the most of his career [1]. Even so, he averaged 28.8 points per game in the regular season. The AP ranked him third in the NBA in scoring [1] [2].

Minnesota beat Denver in six games, then lost to San Antonio in six in the second round [2]. Edwards was also fourth in scoring on the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, which won gold in Paris [1].

From the summer break to the new season

On October 4, Roundtable reported that Edwards had taken roughly two months away from basketball after the season so his knee could heal [2]. The treatment he received during that stretch brought him back to where he wanted to be. He also said the time away was very hard [2]. Asked how he spent his days without basketball, he said all he does is play the game [2].

Minnesota traded for LaMelo Ball this summer. Roundtable wrote that the move should let Edwards return to shooting guard [2]. The article gives the season opener as Wednesday, October 21, at Miami [2].

How the knee holds up over a full season is the open question. Minnesota has not said whether it plans to limit his minutes, so the next injury report from the team is the one to watch.