The Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards are finalizing a five-year contract extension that could be worth up to $260 million, league sources told The Athletic on Monday.
After talks began on Friday, the two sides spent the weekend negotiating the finer points of the deal and putting the finishing touches to the deal, which will run for the full five years with no options, league sources said. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity as the contract was not signed.
In his first three seasons in the league, Edwards averaged 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and made 35 percent of his three-pointers and quickly established himself as a stunning offensive player who can give his all defensively when the moment calls for it. His stats have steadily improved year on year, going from 19.3 points per game as a rookie to 21.3 and then 24.6 last season. His assists per game went from 2.9 to 3.8 to 4.4 and his rebounds went from 4.7 to 4.8 to 5.8.
In the playoffs he was even better. In 11 postseason games of his career, Edwards averaged 28.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists and hit 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, which also included plans to expand his relationships off the pitch, most notably with Three Fifths Media, a production company he founded in 2019 with managing director Justin Holland.
Achieving this is an important step for the Timberwolves, whose core now consists of Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels. They finished last season 42-40, losing to Denver in the first round of the playoffs. Edwards, Towns and Gobert have all signed maximum deals and Wolves have also entered into negotiations with McDaniels for a long-term deal.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What a story for Edwards
He was drafted No. 1 in 2020 but came into the league and heard doubts about his dedication to the sport and hunger to be great. In his three seasons in the league, he quickly allayed all of those concerns, proving to be a charismatic, ambitious young star and one of the league’s more dynamic attacking players.
He’s the face of franchise talent who overcame 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 to high school in suburban Atlanta when he got on stage, and now he’s an NBA All-Star and a central figure rolled into one long history. The struggling franchise is hoping for better days. — Krawczynski
Why Minnesota took this step
Edwards being signed for the full five years and being without a player option last year is a great sign for the Timberwolves. Other contract extensions for certain players have been similar, including LaMelo Ball’s deal in Charlotte. It gives the Wolves that sense of stability they have long needed 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 on the Timberwolves, even as a No. 1 pick. He moved to Towns and D’Angelo Russell for his first two seasons and constantly tried to divert attention from himself to his teammates in post-game interviews. But this deal solidifies Edward’s status even more than it already was.
Towards the end of his third season, he began to express his leadership qualities more and more clearly. He spent more time this summer training in Minnesota and trying to set a tone for the rest of his team. He won’t ride a shotgun anymore. He’ll need to lead this team forward just like any other player in the squad. — Krawczynski
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(Photo: Alonzo Adams / USA Today)