The noise around Minnesota's franchise star is getting louder.
Anthony Edwards just turned in the best season of his career, but the conversation around him has nothing to do with his numbers.
The four-time All-Star and 2026 All-Star Game MVP averaged 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from three in 61 games for a Minnesota Timberwolves team that went 49-33 and earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
None of that has been enough to quiet the questions about his future in Minnesota, which are getting louder by the day.
A Frustration That Didn't Start This Season
Speaking on the Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Tim McMahon and Brian Windhorst painted a picture of a star who has been unhappy for longer than most people realize.
McMahon said "The NBA vultures are swirling around Ant in anticipation of him potentially becoming the next superstar who's available in the trade market."
Windhorst added that Edwards' frustration did not begin with this latest playoff exit and that it traces back to the Karl-Anthony Towns trade in the fall of 2024.
"Ant was really frustrated throughout, really just been frustrated since Towns got traded at how he gets double-teamed," Windhorst said.
That deal sent Towns to the Knicks and brought back Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
Minnesota made back-to-back Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025 but lost to the Thunder in five games last season and then dropped to a second-round exit this year after falling to the San Antonio Spurs in six.
Edwards dealt with a knee hyperextension and bone bruise during the first-round series against Denver, and DiVincenzo tore his Achilles during the playoff run, leaving the backcourt short-handed when it mattered most.
Can This Roster Compete?
The Timberwolves moved fast once the season ended.
On the eve of the draft, they traded Randle and the No. 28 pick to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team deal that cleared his $33.3 million salary and opened up enough room to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu on a five-year, $112 million contract.
Randle shot just 39 percent from the field and 24.4 percent from three across 12 playoff games this season and then skipped his exit interview, so the split felt like it had been building for a while.
But dumping Randle and keeping Dosunmu does not fix the biggest issue on this roster.
Minnesota still does not have a true secondary creator who can take pressure off Edwards on the offensive end, and with DiVincenzo expected to miss most of next season, the gap only gets wider.
The front office is banking on Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels taking bigger steps next year, but neither has proven they can be a consistent second option alongside Edwards when the games matter most in the postseason.
Edwards has three years and roughly $157 million left on his deal and there is no sign he has asked out.
But the longer Minnesota goes without putting the right pieces next to him, the harder it will be to keep the conversation about winning instead of leaving.
