Anthony Edwards Just Got A Reason To Watch The Wolves Closely

As Anthony Edwards eyes a potential super-max extension with the Timberwolves, the team's strategic offseason moves and new additions to the coaching staff aim to strengthen their future roster dynamics.

Anthony Edwards may not be in a hurry to sign anything new, but he’s clearly paying attention to what the Timberwolves are doing around him.

On a recent episode of the Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said the All-Star guard is pleased with Minnesota’s offseason. Edwards still isn’t expected to seriously consider a new contract until next offseason, but Windhorst said the Wolves’ summer has gone over well with him.

“Ant, from what I am told, is very pleased by the Wolves’ offseason,” Windhorst said. “Going to get LaMelo (Ball), making this deal happen for (Jonathan) Kuminga,”

The timing matters here. Edwards can become eligible for a super-max extension if he makes an All-NBA team in 2027, so the real window for serious extension talks is still ahead.

He would have qualified for a “ designated veteran extension ” if he had made All-NBA in 2025/26, but he fell just short of the 65-game minimum needed to be eligible for end-of-season awards. That pushed the two sides toward waiting until next summer.

“The time where Ant has to feel really good about the Wolves is a year from now,” Windhorst said.

Elsewhere in the Northwest, the Timberwolves are adding Daniel Brady as an assistant coach under Chris Finch, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Brady spent last season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League and has also worked on Tom Thibodeau’s staff with New York. Before that, he held player development or video room jobs with Oklahoma City, Atlanta, and Houston going back to 2014.

In Denver, Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke is making another major move in the sports world. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment announced this week that it has reached an agreement to buy controlling interest in MLB’s Los Angeles Angels from the Moreno family. The Kroenke family also owns the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, among other teams.

And in Oklahoma City, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman laid out six lineup combinations the Thunder could be eager to test in 2026/27. The groupings include offensive- and defensive-heavy starting lineups, a small-ball look, and a closing unit with Ajay Mitchell and Alex Caruso joining max-salary stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren.

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