Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards had a “successful” arthroscopic procedure on his ailing right knee Thursday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the team announced.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Edwards underwent a debridement procedure on his knee, which is a minimally invasive procedure used to clean, smooth or remove damaged cartilage, bone spurs or loose joint fragments from the knee joint to relieve pain and improve mobility.
Edwards is expected to make a full recovery, but the team did not provide a time frame for his possible return. Sources told ESPN that Edwards could be sidelined for as long as two months.
Tim Connelly, president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves, said before Wednesday night’s loss to the Warriors that he expects Edwards to be “good as new” when he eventually returns to game action.
Edwards, 25, has dealt with right knee pain since last spring and was limited to a career-low 61 games last season. At one point during the home opener against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, grabbing his knee and wincing. Edwards scored 47 points in an overtime loss at Cleveland on Monday despite being listed as questionable. He has scored a franchise-record 133 points in four games.
Edwards had an MRI on Tuesday that revealed new damage not seen on earlier scans from before training camp and during the playoffs. At that time this summer, his condition was not of a nature that a procedure would have been advised, Connelly said Wednesday.
Timberwolves Star Anthony Edwards Sidelined for 2 Months
Missing two months would prevent Edwards from reaching the 65-game threshold for MVP and All-NBA honors, either of which would have made him eligible to sign a four-year, $304 million supermax extension next summer, with the first year of the deal beginning in 2029-30.
“It’s not about individual accolades, All-NBAs, or anything like that,” Edwards’ manager, Justin Holland, told ESPN. “It’s a single focus — winning a championship. We’ve seen in a short time what the team is capable of, and know big things are ahead when all are 100%.”
