Anthony Edwards Latest Victim of NBA’s 65-Game Rule, Set to Lose $115 Million

Minnesota Timberwolves were greeted with a sad sight on Tuesday night when Anthony Edwards was ruled out for two months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery.

Anthony Edwards Latest Victim of NBA’s 65-Game Rule, Set to Lose $115 Million

Anthony Edwards (Image credits - Bleacher Report)

Anthony Edwards is now in his sixth season in the NBA. Drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the number one pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Edwards quickly established himself as the franchise superstar.

Barring his rookie season, Edwards has led the Wolves to four straight postseasons. With no Conference Finals appearance since 2004, he led them to back-to-back Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025. However, they were eliminated by an inexperienced San Antonio Spurs team in the second round last season.

Despite his reliance on athleticism and explosiveness, the Wolves star has been healthy and durable so far in his career. With Edwards in the prime of his career, the expectations were high heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Ahead of the new campaign, many saw him under pressure to deliver this season. Some even expected him to become a strong contender for the MVP award and All-NBA honors. Unfortunately, that will not be the case as he will miss up to two months due to an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee.

With Edwards ruled out for the next two months, he will not be able to hit the 65-game mark, which means he will not be in contention for any individual awards and honors. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that, because of his layoff, he will not be eligible for the four-year, $304 million contract.

He’s going to miss about two months with that injury. He’s gonna be ineligible for All-NBA Teams, for MVP, that’s gonna cost him $115 million extra in salary based on the supermax extension he is eligible for this offseason. I believe it is four-years, $304 million if he made either an All-NBA Team or MVP but now he’s gonna miss too many games.

Shams Charania on The Pat McAfee Show

Anthony Edwards has been suffering from knee issues since last season. Reports indicate the procedure will be on the same knee that has been hindering him for the past year. If he misses over 17 games this season, he will be eligible for a three-year, $189 million contract next year, a significant drop from the supermax extension.

As things stand, Anthony Edwards is eligible for a contract extension. Both Edwards and the Wolves are expected to wait until next offseason to sign a potential supermax deal worth over $301 million over four years. 

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Anthony Edwards trolls NBA’s 65-game rule in latest Adidas commercial

Anthony Edwards is well known for talking trash and never backing down from speaking his mind. After entering the NBA in 2020, Adidas signed him and has made him the face of Adidas Basketball ever since.

The 25-year-old has made a name for himself through his Adidas commercials. The two collaborated once more and released a video poking fun at the NBA’s 65-game rule.

In the commercial, Edwards and his right-hand man thumb through applicants to serve as an Edwards imposter because the NBA requires players to play in 65 games to be eligible for any end-of-season award.

Anthony Edwards may miss out on the individual accolades for this season, but it is clear that he and the Wolves are prioritizing the bigger picture. The young star is focused on recovering and staying healthy for next year’s playoffs.

Minnesota Timberwolves lose their first game without Anthony Edwards

The four-time All-Star has been a force to reckon with in his first four games of the season. He scored 45 points in his season opener against the Miami Heat and scored 47 points in his last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.

Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards will miss two months due to a knee injury (Image credits – NBA)

With Anthony Edwards going to miss a number of games, the big question was how the Wolves will cope in his absence. The organization made some big moves by letting Julius Randle leave in the summer. They went on to trade for LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets before signing Jonathan Kuminga as a free agent.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get off to the best start without Edwards, suffering a 119-114 defeat to the Golden State Warriors at the Target Center on Wednesday night. The Wolves trailed much of the game and suffered their second defeat of the season.

The Wolves scored just eight points and had eight assists, and they will need much more from their point guard in the absence of their superstar. They have looked like one of the best teams in the West in their first four games, but it looks like things are about to change very soon.

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