On a night when Anthony Edwards scored 47 points against Cleveland, the Minnesota Timberwolves were already carrying a quiet worry about his right knee, one that athletes have long learned to play through until the body insists otherwise. Within days the decision had been made: an arthroscopic procedure, scheduled for Thursday, that will take the guard off the court for as long as two months. It is a familiar turn in the long season of professional sport, where brilliance and fragility arrive together, and where a team must now wait, with cautious hope, for the calendar to tell it when its sta
Anthony Edwards Undergoes Right Knee Surgery, Expected to Miss Up to Two Months
Edwards scored 47 on Monday. By Wednesday, he was headed for knee surgery.
Mark
Why is this surgery such a big deal for Minnesota?
Mimi
Edwards was averaging 33.3 points a game and had just scored 47 against Cleveland. The team's best player is going to be out for a long stretch very early in the season.
Mark
He was playing well, though. Why operate now?
Mimi
Reporting says he had been playing through soreness, and the club wanted to address it as soon as possible so he can be healthy for the rest of the season.
Luke
Worth noting that's one reporter's account of the team's thinking. We have the plan, not a statement of the reasoning from the club itself.
Mark
And the timeline? Two months, or more?
Mimi
Charania said up to two months. Later, Krawczynski said more than two months is expected, which points to January, though the hope is December.
Luke
Those don't line up cleanly, and the team itself says it will know more after Thursday's surgery. I'd treat every date as provisional.
Mark
Is there a pattern with his health?
Mimi
He played at least 72 games in each of his first five seasons, then 61 last year, mostly because of a foot injury. There was also a hyperextended left knee in last year's playoffs.
Luke
Those are separate injuries, and the right knee inflammation is the only direct link here. I wouldn't call it a pattern yet.
Le Pouls
- A 47-point night ended in overtime defeat, and within two days the star guard's knee had become the central worry of his team's season.
- Edwards was walking with a limp and lacking his usual burst, cleared to play only after pregame warmups, his availability clouded by questionable tags.
- The Timberwolves chose surgery over lingering soreness, scheduling an arthroscopic procedure for Thursday to clear the inflammation in his right knee.
- The early estimate has stretched past two months, pointing toward a January return, while the club hopes for a December comeback and full health for the rest of the year.
On a night when Anthony Edwards scored 47 points against Cleveland, the Minnesota Timberwolves were already carrying a quiet worry about his right knee, one that athletes have long learned to play through until the body insists otherwise. Within days the decision had been made: an arthroscopic procedure, scheduled for Thursday, that will take the guard off the court for as long as two months. It is a familiar turn in the long season of professional sport, where brilliance and fragility arrive together, and where a team must now wait, with cautious hope, for the calendar to tell it when its star will return.
Anthony Edwards scored 47 points on Monday night against Cleveland, and Minnesota lost in overtime. By Wednesday, the Timberwolves guard was headed for surgery on his right knee. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Edwards will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on Thursday and could miss up to two months.
The timeline has grown longer than first thought. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported that the current expectation points toward January, though the team hopes Edwards is back in December and fully healthy for the rest of the season. The club chose to address the soreness now rather than let it linger.
The warning signs came before the news. Edwards had been averaging 33.3 points per game, but his shots were falling without his usual burst, and he sometimes walked with a limp. He was listed as questionable against Golden State, and he was not cleared to play against Cleveland until after warmups. He also hyperextended his left knee in last season's playoffs.
For a player who has rarely missed time, the absence carries weight. Edwards played at least 72 games in each of his first five seasons, and last year a foot injury limited him to 61. He is also not alone: several stars across the league are facing lengthy absences in the opening weeks of this season. What comes next is Thursday's surgery and the updated timeline that follows.
Anthony Edwards scored 47 points on Monday night against Cleveland, in a game Minnesota lost in overtime. By Wednesday, the Timberwolves guard was headed for surgery on his right knee.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported, citing sources, that Edwards will undergo an arthroscopic procedure and miss up to two months. The operation is scheduled for Thursday. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic added that the club will have a clearer recovery timeline once the surgery is done.
The early estimate has shifted. Krawczynski reported that the current expectation is for an absence of more than two months, which would likely keep Edwards out until January. The team's hope, as he described it, is that Edwards returns sometime in December and is fully healthy for the rest of the season. The club chose to deal with the soreness now rather than let it linger.
The decision comes after a strong start. Edwards had been averaging 33.3 points per game, with the 47-point night against the Cavaliers as the high mark. But Krawczynski wrote, in a story published before the surgery news, that something looked off. Edwards' shots were falling, but he lacked his usual burst and sometimes walked with a limp. He was not cleared to play against Cleveland until after pregame warmups, and he had been listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against Golden State.
The knee trouble has some history. Edwards hyperextended his left knee in last season's playoffs, and Krawczynski noted that he was also dealing with inflammation in his right knee, the one now being operated on.
His durability record gives the news extra weight. In his first five NBA seasons, Edwards never played fewer than 72 games, and he appeared in 79 games in each of the three seasons leading up to 2025/26. Last season he was limited to 61 regular season games, mainly because of a foot injury.
He is also not alone. Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix pointed out that the opening week has been rough for player health around the league. Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero, Kawhi Leonard, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cason Wallace and Jalen Suggs are among those facing multi-week or multi-month absences, and Edwards now joins them.
What to watch next is Thursday's surgery and the updated timeline the Timberwolves say will follow. A December return is the hope; January is the likelier reading of current expectations.
Citations marquantes
Edwards will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee and will miss up to two months.— Shams Charania, ESPN, citing sources
The club hopes he will be back in December and fully healthy for the rest of the season.— Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic (paraphrased)
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