The Minnesota Timberwolves have made some huge offseason moves in hopes of convincing Anthony Edwards to extend his contract next summer. A difficult postseason elimination in the second round at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs showed the team’s flaws in the loaded Western Conference. Minnesota traded Julius Randle as a salary dump to set up a bigger trade to acquire point guard LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets.
All moves are being done with the mindset of improving their title hopes and adding confidence to Edwards in the team’s future. Minnesota insider Darren Wolfson shared an update on the team’s plan:
“The idea is to get Anthony Edwards a year from now to put pen to paper on another monster extension. The idea is to elevate Ant’s game, get him to be All-NBA once again, then he can maximize his earning potential. The Wolves want Anthony Edwards a year from now to sign that monster extension. LaMelo Ball, the thought is, is going to help elevate Anthony Edwards that much more.”
The term “monster extension” implies that they are willing to offer the full max contract extension to keep Edwards long term. Minnesota hopes that the improvements will be enough to have a good NBA season and get Edwards to put his name on the contract next summer.
Anthony Edwards Could Get Historic Offer
The NBA has reached a unique point where superstars must pick between getting the full max money they can make or sacrifice some money to help the team. New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson received a lot of credit for taking a smaller contract that ultimately led to the team winning an NBA championship thanks to their depth.
Victor Wembanyama and Austin Reaves have both given up a little money during their offseason contract extensions this past summer. Edwards will have that same decision to make next summer when the contract extension becomes more realistic.
Minnesota being content with offering the full money for a “monster” contract means they are willing to pay Edwards his full market value. This could cause Edwards to receive the largest contract in NBA history since other stars at his level are giving up money to help the team.
Timberwolves Future Revolves Around Anthony Edwards
Minnesota’s willingness to pay Edwards top dollar means they’re aware of his relevance in the league and to the fan base. Edwards is on pace to be the greatest player in franchise history if he’s not already at that top spot.
The recent success of the Timberwolves saw them making more conference finals with Edwards the top star than Kevin Garnett or any other franchise player. Minnesota can’t risk losing Edwards or it will truly devastate their entire fan base moving forward.
The fact that the Timberwolves are already planning for next summer means that they’ll do everything possible to keep Edwards. Ball, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, and the rest of the Timberwolves roster must contend next season to truly sell Edwards on the franchise as his long-term future.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Timberwolves Planning “Monster” Anthony Edwards Contract Offer appeared first on HEAVY.