The Minnesota Timberwolves just pulled off a Julius Randle trade that confused a lot of people. And apparently Anthony Edwards is one of them.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst dropped a pretty telling detail this week about how Edwards has been feeling since the Karl-Anthony Towns trade went down. According to Windhorst, Edwards has been visibly frustrated — not just with the losing but with how he’s being defended now that Towns isn’t there to draw attention away from him.
“Ant was really frustrated throughout — really just been frustrated since Towns got traded at how he gets double-teamed,” Windhorst said.
This is the part that should worry Minnesota. Teams have zero reason to guard anyone else on the floor the way they guarded that KAT-Ant combination. Now it’s just Edwards getting swarmed possession after possession with no reliable release valve. For a guy who thrives on attacking the rim and getting downhill, that changes everything about how he can play.
Vultures are circling
Tim MacMahon didn’t sugarcoat it either. He used the word “vultures” to describe what other NBA teams are doing right now — waiting to see if Edwards eventually wants out.
“The NBA vultures are swirling around Ant in anticipation of him potentially becoming the next superstar who’s available in the trade market,” MacMahon reported.
That’s not a rumor. That’s a warning. The Wolves just traded away Edwards’ best offensive counterpart for a player who doesn’t solve the spacing problem. Randle is a good player but he’s not a floor spacer. He operates in the same real estate Edwards does. That pairing could get ugly fast.
The clock is ticking
The Timberwolves front office has to show Edwards there’s a real plan here. Not just moves that make the roster look different on paper. Actual structure. Players who can shoot. A system that doesn’t leave him stranded against three defenders every trip down the floor.
Because here’s the thing. Those vultures? They’re patient. They know that frustrated superstars eventually start looking around. And once a guy like Edwards starts paying attention to what else is out there, it’s hard to get that genie back in the bottle.
Minnesota needs to get this right. Quickly. Before a restless star decides he’d rather be someone else’s problem.
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