Anthony Edwards knee surgery: Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected to miss up to two months of the NBA season, ESPN reported on Tuesday, citing sources. The timing is brutal: the 25-year-old guard is off to the best start of his career, averaging 33.3 points per game, and Minnesota sits at 3–1 after a summer in which the team reshaped its roster around him.
Edwards played through the problem on Monday, scoring 47 points in a season-high 41 minutes in a 127–125 overtime loss at Cleveland — his seventh career game with at least 47 points. He had first grabbed at the knee during Sunday’s home win over Toronto, and coach Chris Finch had called it a “daily situation” with no long-term concern. The surgery decision, and the two-month timeline, changed that picture within a day. The Athletic, citing a team source, put the absence at “at least two months.”
Anthony Edwards Knee Surgery: Key Facts
Key Facts
- What: arthroscopic procedure on Edwards’ right knee; expected absence up to two months (ESPN/Shams Charania, 27 Oct); The Athletic’s team source says at least two months. A return sooner than eight weeks is possible depending on what surgeons find, per NBC Sports.
- The player: 25, No. 1 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, four-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA Second Team; 2024 Paris Olympics gold medallist with Team USA.
- This season: 33.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game over four games, shooting 48.1% from the field and 40.0% from three; Timberwolves 3–1. Career averages: 24.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists in 446 games.
- History: Edwards dealt with right-knee soreness and inflammation through the 2025–26 season and playoffs, plus a left-knee hyperextension and bone bruise in last season’s first round; he took about two months off over the summer to rest both knees without surgery.
- What it costs Minnesota: roughly 25 games, with a return around late December at the earliest; the Timberwolves next host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, and must now lean on LaMelo Ball and Jaden McDaniels for scoring.
- Wider picture: Edwards joins a long early-season injury list including Kawhi Leonard, Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams, per NBC Sports.
Source: ESPN
Anthony Edwards Knee Surgery: What Happens Next
For Minnesota, the next two months are about survival in the standings. The Timberwolves must stay competitive without their leading scorer until around late December, when Edwards could return at the earliest.
Anthony Edwards knee surgery is a bet on the long season. Operating now, rather than managing the knee through the year, gives him time to recover and rebuild chemistry before the playoffs, if the timeline holds.
Anthony Edwards Knee Surgery: FAQ
FAQ
Why surgery now instead of rest?
The team views it as proactive: operating now, early in the season, should have Edwards back around Christmas at the latest, with time to rebuild chemistry before the playoffs — rather than risking the knee worsening later.
Is this the same knee as last season?
Yes, the right knee. He had inflammation in it from March into last season’s playoffs, rested it over the summer, and it flared again in the first week of this season.
Who steps up for Minnesota?
LaMelo Ball, acquired in the offseason, has been playing more as a facilitator so far; he and Jaden McDaniels will need to carry far more scoring for the next two months.
Also read: Fed set to hold rates at 3.75%–4% today — but December is the real decision
When could Edwards return?
Around late December at the earliest, based on the reported timeline of up to two months. The exact date will depend on what surgeons find and how his recovery progresses. The Timberwolves will update his status as rehab milestones are reached.
