The new NBA season is only a week old and, unfortunately, significant injuries have already spread across the league. The new-look Timberwolves roster is off to a great start, but the injury bug has dampened the good vibes in Minnesota.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday night that superstar guard Anthony Edwards will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee which will keep him out for up to two months. He was on a heater to start the year and is fresh off a massive 47-point performance in a tough overtime loss to the Cavaliers on Monday night. Edwards’s surgery is a decision made by Minnesota to address the knee issue as soon as possible with the hope that he will be back at some point in December and be fully ready to go, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.

Edwards dealt with knee issues late last season and missed time with right knee soreness and inflammation. In the first round of the playoffs against the Nuggets, he hyperextended his other knee and suffered a bone bruise. He missed Game 5 against Denver, then returned for Game 1 of Minnesota’s Western Conference semifinals series against the Spurs.

In the Wolves’ win on Sunday over the Raptors, Edwards grabbed at his right knee a couple of times with one hard landing after he was fouled, but he played 41 minutes the following night in the loss to Cleveland.

Like I’m worried worried about Ant 😓 https://t.co/2SpPHhUCv2 pic.twitter.com/SEmfxSCCp4

— Kyle Ingram (@SnapshotKyle) October 26, 2026

The long-standing issues presumedly nagged enough that the team decided to nip it in the bud. It’s fair to wonder why this wasn’t addressed earlier as the injury dates back to last season, but we did see the right knee appear to bother Edwards multiple times over only a handful of games. Now, after an exciting start to the new campaign, the Wolves must figure out how to stay afloat without their superstar guard and primary scoring threat.

What Anthony Edwards’s injury means for the Timberwolves’ outlook this season

Obviously, Edwards’s prolonged absence isn’t ideal for a team with title hopes. It’s only October, however, which gives him a real shot to return before the calendar flips to 2027. Should Edwards return exactly two months from today, he’d miss 26 games. He’ll miss out on postseason honors due to the league’s 65-game criteria, but he’d return to the court after Minnesota’s 30th game of the season. Even if the wheels completely fall off without Edwards, that leaves a ton of time to climb back up the standings.

Most importantly, knocking the procedure out this early should resolve the matter well ahead of the playoffs. If Edwards and the Wolves waited until January, for example, any delays in his recovery could get too close to the final stretch of the regular season and even bleed into the postseason. Of course, there’s the possibility that Edwards’s expected return in December gets delayed based on his recovery process. Seeing as this is somewhat of a precautionary measure to resolve the issue moving forward, the Wolves likely won’t rush him back to the court until he’s completely ready to go.

In the meantime, LaMelo Ball and Jaden McDaniels will assume a lot of responsibility to try to replace much of Edwards’s scoring. Edwards is one of the NBA’s best scorers. He’s irreplaceable, but Ball and McDaniels should get most of the vacated shots.

Minnesota made a big swing and traded for Ball over the offseason. The early returns on the Ball-Edwards backcourt pairing seem well worth the big move. We’ll have to wait until the playoffs to see whether the Ball experiment truly pays off, but at least the team will have a high-level scorer to fill Edwards’s shoes as much as possible while he recovers. In the first four games of the season, Ball has played second fiddle to Edwards scoring wise, as expected. The former Hornets star is capable of scoring in volume, though, as he’s averaged at least 20 points per game in each season since his rookie year.

McDaniels has grown offensively over the last two seasons with extremely efficient shooting numbers. He can score from all three levels and should put up even better numbers with increased volume. Ayo Dosunmu nicely slides into coach Chris Finch’s starting lineup without Edwards. He’s a high-level perimeter defender which complements Ball. Minnesota still has Terrence Shannon Jr. as a scorer off the bench, but its depth is an even bigger question without Edwards. The Wolves are already dealing without Donte DiVincenzo who ruptured his Achilles tendon in the playoffs.

All in all, the Wolves’ season is nothing close to over with Edwards’s unfortunate injury. He should be back around the 30th game of year with plenty of basketball ahead. The next 25 or so games might not be pretty, but it’s completely possible that Ball and McDaniels keep the team afloat.

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