Anthony Edwards may return sooner than expected for series vs. Spurs

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards may return sooner than expected for series against Spurs

By Clark Dalton | Last updated May 3, 2026 7:07 PM ET

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards is itching to return to postseason action.

Minnesota was initially expected to be without Edwards (left knee) for the first two games of its series against the San Antonio Spurs. The guard, however, appears to be pushing to return before that target date.

When could Anthony Edwards return?

The Timberwolves announced Sunday that Edwards has been cleared for on-court basketball activities and will be listed as questionable for Game 1 on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN/Peacock). The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski reported Minnesota will hold a private workout with the guard on Monday morning to determine his status.

Returning for Game 1 could be ambitious for Edwards, who has missed two games since hyperextending his left knee in Game 4 of Minnesota's first-round series against the Denver Nuggets on April 25. Still, he wants to return much sooner.

NEWS: Anthony Edwards Injury Update pic.twitter.com/C9bZNXI2pP
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 3, 2026

On Sunday, Edwards posted a video to his YouTube channel titled "Don't Count Me Out." The nine-minute clip detailed his recovery from the injury.

"It's the playoffs," Edwards told friend and business partner Tre McCain when asked how he's feeling during the video. "I'll go out [there] on one leg if I have to."

The clip also includes an interview with Timberwolves vice president of medical operations and performance David Hines, who compared Edwards to Marvel superhero Wolverine, who's known for his super-healing factor.

"We call him Wolverine. ... Certain things you see other players might not be able to play through, those are injuries that Ant has been able to recover from," Hines said.

Edwards being available for Game 1 would give the No. 6-seeded Timberwolves a much better chance of upsetting the No. 2-seeded Spurs, led by star forward Victor Wembanyama. During the regular season, Edwards ranked third in the NBA in scoring (28.8 points per game), and in 46 postseason games, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick has logged 26.2 PPG.

Even if Edwards doesn't play on Monday, Minnesota may keep San Antonio at bay. Guard Ayo Dosunmu has scored a team-leading 21.8 PPG during the postseason.

If Edwards has his way, though, he may return way earlier than expected.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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