Sep 29, 2025; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) poses for a photograph as part of media day at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Ex-NBA Star Lays Out What's Needed for Anthony Edwards MVP Run

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 7:32 PM ET

Being one of the NBA’s top young stars, Anthony Edwards’ words carry plenty of weight when he speaks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves guard isn’t one to hold back his thoughts, which is something that the outspoken former guard Jeff Teague can appreciate.

Being a former All-Star himself, Teague has an idea of what Edwards needs to do to take the next step. Edwards is already making straightforward comments regarding his major plan for the year. The Timberwolves All-Star wants to average more points than ever.

Will that be enough to get Edwards to take the MVP step? Teague explains why that will certainly be a key in helping out, but that alone isn’t enough to cut it.

“He’s already around 28 to 30 [points per game], so I imagine him averaging around there. He’s got to be around five-to-six assists, but they got to be the number one team in the West,” Teague said on Club 520. “They got to be the number one team in the West. You got Jokic and SGA—so you got to be 30 [points] and number one. One or two in the West, he can get it.”

Last season, Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were the two clear-cut frontrunners for the award. Edwards was putting together his third All-Star campaign. For the fifth season in a row, Edwards averaged more points than ever with 27.6 points per game. He also averaged 5.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals.

When it came to the MVP race, Edwards tied for seventh alongside Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons. Ahead of them were LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jokic, and the winner, SGA.

Edwards has a good shot of moving up the list, but the race between Giannis, Jokic, and SGA will be tough once again, as they are steadily competing at a high level. Not to mention, team success will play a major part.

Last season, the Timberwolves finished 49-33. They picked up the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. While Jokic managed to win runner-up with his team as the fourth seed, Gilgeous-Alexander took home the Michael Jordan trophy after leading his team to the top seed by a wide margin, while producing 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic are still in their primes. If Edwards wants a shot at the personal accolade, he'll need to take another step next season.