The Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards are finalizing a five-year maximum contract extension that could be worth up to $260 million, league sources told The Athletic on Monday.
After starting discussions on Friday, the two sides spent the weekend negotiating the finer points of the deal and are putting the finishing touches on the contract, which is for the full five years with no options, league sources said. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed.
In his first three seasons in the league, Edwards has averaged 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and made 35 percent of his 3s, quickly establishing himself as a devastating offensive player who can turn it on defensively when the moment demands it. His stats have steadily improved year over year, from 19.3 points per game as a rookie to 21.3 and then 24.6 last season. His assists per game climbed from 2.9 to 3.8 to 4.4 and his rebounds have risen from 4.7 to 4.8 to 5.8.
He has been even better in the playoffs. In 11 career postseason games, Edwards is averaging 28.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists while hitting 38 percent of his 3s on nearly 10 attempts per game.
Edwards is represented by Bill Duffy and WME Sports. He recently joined the agency in a move that also included plans to expand his business dealings off the court, particularly with Three Fifths Media, a production company he launched with business manager Justin Holland in 2019.
Getting this done is a major move for the Timberwolves, who now have a core of Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels. They finished 42-40 last season and lost to Denver in the first round of the playoffs. Edwards, Towns and Gobert are all on max deals and the Wolves have opened negotiations with McDaniels on a long-term deal as well.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What a story for Edwards
He was drafted No. 1 in 2020, but came into the league hearing doubts about his commitment to the game and his hunger to be great. In his three seasons in the league, he has quickly dispelled any of those concerns, proving to be a charismatic, driven young star and one of the more dynamic offensive players in the league.
He is a face-of-the-franchise talent who has overcome a lot in his life to get this far. Edwards lost his mother and grandmother to cancer when he was 14, drove an hour each way to high school in the Atlanta suburbs while he was bursting onto the scene, and now he is an NBA All-Star and a central figure in a long-struggling franchise’s hopes for better days. — Krawczynski
Why Minnesota made this move
Edwards signing on for the full five years and not having a player option on the last year is a great sign for the Timberwolves. Other designated player extensions were similar, including LaMelo Ball’s deal in Charlotte. It gives the Wolves a sense of stability that they have needed for a long time as they try to build a contender around him, Towns, McDaniels and Gobert. — Krawczynski
What’s next for Edwards?
Early in his young career, Edwards was reluctant to take ownership of the Timberwolves, even as a No. 1 pick. He deferred to Towns and D’Angelo Russell the first two seasons and has constantly tried to deflect attention away from himself to teammates in postgame interviews. But this deal cements Edwards’ status even further than it already was.
Toward the end of his third season, he started to get more and more vocal in terms of leadership. This summer he has been spending more time working out in Minnesota and trying to set a tone for the rest of his team. He will be riding shotgun no longer. He will need to lead this team forward as much as any player on the roster. — Krawczynski
Required reading
(Photo: Alonzo Adams / USA Today)
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